Ragnarok!
by Freddo
Summary: The AU Star Blazers universe saga of The Rikasha Incident finally ends here as, in Part Eleven, in April 2202, Ekogaru the Great orchestrates his final attack upon Earth itself. Can the Star Force defeat him at last? COMPLETED with the posting of Ch. 6.
1. Chapter 1

**ALTERNATE TALES OF THE STAR FORCE**

**STAR BLAZERS****---****RAGNAROK**

**Being the eleventh and final part of THE RIKASHA INCIDENT--- BY: Frederick P. Kopetz**

* * *

**ACT ONE: PRELUDE**

* * *

**I. INTO BATTLE**

**Earth: Tokyo Megalopolis**

**Sunday: April 25, 2202**

**1002 Hours**

* * *

"Mom, I'm scared," said Jordy Venture as he ran through the Wildstars' backyard.

"It'll be all right," said Carol Venture.

Not far away, a number of aircars, including Derek's…sped off as Wildstar and the others began their trips towards either the _Argo_ or the airbase. Nova smiled to herself. _Good, Derek! You made it out of this. Now, it's up to me to get these panicking civilians through this, too._

"We'll make it through this," said Carol Venture. She looked forward towards the head of the group, where Lieutenant Hemsford was running just behind Nova Wildstar, who was very visible in her white dress and bright pink shoes. Save for the fact that she had an astro-automatic out in her right hand, she looked rather like a young woman on a walk. _Where is she leading us?_ Mrs. Venture thought. Holly's mother looked at Mrs. Venture and shrugged.

Nova's mother was similarly perplexed as her daughter disappeared into an aircar garage and hangar near the front of the grounds. It seemed that Nova was rooting around in the garage for something.

"This way!" Nova cried a moment later as she hastily took her shoes off and threw them to Hemsford.

"What's this?" asked Hemsford as he stuffed the pumps in his pocket. "Why are you deciding to go barefoot all of a sudden?"

"We have to do some climbing down a tight ladder that I can't do in heels," said Nova. "Get Jordy on your back."

Nova found a keypad in the wall near a small table and bit at her finger for a moment with her gun in her other hand. Then, she remembered the code and punched it in. There was a click, and she pushed some dust away from an access handle in the floor. She turned the handle and pulled up, opening a trapdoor.

"Where does this go?" asked David Venture.

"Yes, where?" asked Mrs. Parsons.

"Down to the underground city," explained Nova. "I have to get to the underground Earth Defense Headquarters to get a note to the Commanding General. Our house was built over a ventilation shaft, and this'll get us down there in a hurry. I hope you're up to some climbing down a ladder. Dad, make Mother take her heels off. You too, Mrs. Parsons. Hemsford, you'll be the last. Get the shaft sealed behind us."

"Right!" replied the Marine officer, who looked rather un-Marine in his jeans, dashiki, and Black Muslim knit skullcap. He had Jordy on his back in a fireman's carry.

Nova began to disappear down the trap door into the darkness. Unknown to her, she was following her Aunt Yvona's journey in January, but in reverse, since she was going down the passage while Yvona had come up from the passage like some kind of goblin.

As Nova hooked her toes on the second rung of the access ladder that she was going down, she heard her mother screaming. "What's wrong?" she cried.

She got her answer a moment later when a bolt of green blaster fire hit the wall of the garage, causing a little bit of cement to nick her cheek.

Red-armored R'Khell troopers were swarming around the garage and the front yard. One of them yelled _"K'drana!"_ in his language, and signalled his mates in a "c'mere" gesture. Another one nodded, and he also fired at the fleeing civilians in the half-empty garage, half-empty since Derek had just taken his aircar.

Nova pivoted and began to return fire, bracing herself against the side of the passage as she fired at the enemy in a two-handed grip. Hemsford had dropped Jordy, and he was also returning fire with his weapon.

Not far away, Teri Forrester screamed. "Nova! This looks _dangerous_!"

"Damnit, Mom! Get behind my car!" Nova barked. "Dad! Cover her!"

Karl Forrester nodded, grabbing a projectile rifle off the wall near a workbench. "Is this loaded?" he asked.

"Yes, but with just two bullets in the magazine. You'll find more in the drawer, Dad," said Nova.

While Teri screamed and cried behind Nova's aircar, Karl ducked down and loaded the old 30-30 rifle that someone had given Derek as a present before they had left on the mission. He locked and loaded, and began to return fire along with his daughter and Hemsford. He hit two troopers at about the same time that Hemsford had.

* * *

In the meantime, Aliscea and Paul Rosstowski were heading towards the _Argo_ in a speeding ground car being driven by Paul. The tires screeched as they flew around an intersection at high speed, just barely dodging some other driver.

The driver stopped and began to swear at them, but then the screech of a diving R'Khell plane made him look back and yell, "Holy CRUD! You go ahead, you two! Every man for himself!"

"No, it's not that way at ALL!" screamed Aliscea. She jumped out of the car with a look in her eyes that made the other man jump back, and he was even more freaked out than ever when this young woman in a sailor dress and delicate black sandals jumped on the hood of Paul's car. She yelled, "Come and GET me, you R'Khell murderer!" up at the approaching plane.

"No! Lady, you're crazy!" yelled the driver.

The pilot smiled, firing at Aliscea.

Aliscea put up her hands, and fire came out of them, deflecting the laser bolts. She roared and another burst of fire came out of her hands, blowing the enemy plane up into the sky and into pieces as if a wave-motion gun bolt had hit it.

"Uh…uh..," said the other man.

"Could you let us go now?" said Paul. "This woman is very important to Earth!"

"yeah…yeah…you go ahead..' said the man. At that, Paul and Aliscea got into their car and sped away.

"This is too weird," muttered the other driver. To calm his nerves, he had to drink some sake right away. He didn't care if the police caught him or not.

"Are you all right?" asked Paul.

"I'm feeling a bit weak," said Aliscea. "These battles are draining me. My heart…" she said.

_No, don't,_ sent Paul. _Don't get sick on us._

_But it's draining me…keeping a watch on Ekogaru…fighting our enemies off. You have to do something for me when we get back to the_ Argo….

_What?_

_Help me prepare a ritual, in case I don't survive this. Someone else may have to carry on the psychic war and defeat Ekogaru._

_It can't be that bad, Aliscea! NO!_

_It may be,_ she sent. _It may be…._

* * *

In the confusion, Jordy hid behind a garbage can. In the meantime, Carol Venture ran over and hid beside Teri Forrester while David Venture looked around the garage for something _he_ could use as a weapon. _Mrs. Wildstar's doing all right, but I need to defend the other women and Jordy_, he thought

"Karl!" yelled Teri. "You're _shooting_ at them!"

"Well, that's what you're supposed to do when you're in a firefight!" retorted Karl. "I haven't forgotten all of my old EDF training, Teri!"

"Our daughter's picked a very dangerous line of work!" cried Teri.

"Dad, shut her up!" cried Nova. "She's giving away our position!"

Another trooper ran into the garage and fired at Nova. Nova just barely avoided the energy beam by ducking. Then, she popped up again and hit the man in his armored chest with a well-placed shot.

Teri went silent as she realized that her daughter had just killed the enemy trooper. She shivered as she thought, _God, this is terrible! What has the military done to my baby, who used to worry about baby birds? What's happened to her? What's happened to all of us?_

* * *

A few minutes later, Derek Wildstar, Conroy, Hardy, and the other pilots reached Idlewild Space Naval Air Station near the coast. The guard admitted them in a hurry.

They stopped, running in a crouch to avoid enemy fire as they looked for working planes on the tarmac. Everything was chaos; several Cosmo Tiger II's were badly shot up.

"There's one!" yelled Derek. Conroy followed him towards a Tiger II strike-fighter with yellow trim that belonged to the Black Tigers. "Conroy, you get in the tail gunners' place. I'll fly it!"

"Right," said Pete Conroy as he and Wildstar got into the plane. Not far away, the Hartcliffes were doing the same thing with another surviving plane. Hardy found a plane and jumped in, followed by Laurel Hartmann. Tatiana Lubyanska and Diane Henson occupied another plane. Diane took the tail-gunners' place.

Derek was the first one down the runway, but he had to make a hard turn to the left and upwards as soon as he took off to avoid a R'Khell fighter that blew in like a maniac. He just barely managed to shoot it down as Conroy got another one from the tail-gunner's spot behind them.

Soon, the others took off, followed by twenty more Black Tigers that took off one by one as the pilots returned from leave.

_Twenty-six planes,_ thought Derek. _A bit more than two squadrons' worth. Good,_ he mused. "Twelve of you, form up behind me," he said over the radio. "Hardy, you take the rest of them! I see a big group of those bombers on radar, and we're heading off to follow them! Follow me north!"

"Right," said Hardy.

On the ground, the flight crews cheered and whooped as the Black Tigers flew off to intercept the enemy.

* * *

Commander Mark Venture got his car through the gates of the base under enemy fire, followed by Holly.

He had to shoot down a few R'Khell troopers as he ran towards the lift that would take him down to the _Argo_. But, followed by Dash and Eager, he made it.

A few minutes later, he was on the bridge of the _Argo_. He and Sandor exchanged hasty salutes. "Where's Wildstar and Nova?" asked Sandor.

"They got split up; they should be joining us soon," said Venture.

"Where's Holly?" asked Eager.

"Second bridge, commanding the Navigation crew," said Venture. "You take your spot, Eager!"

_"Right!"_ Eager said in his Texas drawl.

"Are we ready yet?" asked Venture as he sat down at the helm and began to bring systems up.

"Just about," said Sandor as Homer ran onto the bridge, followed by Yamazaki. The Rosstowskis ran up a moment later.

"Are you all right?" asked Mark as Paul and Aliscea stood panting.

"I'm fine…Aliscea's a little tired."

"We…had some problems," said Aliscea. "But I'll be fine…for now." She swayed on her feet, causing Venture to look very worried for a moment. Then, he looked at Aliscea. "Can you run a radar?" he asked.

Aliscea nodded.

"Good. Take Nova's place until she gets here."

"Right," said Aliscea as she sat down at the cosmo-radar in her white dress.

Over the whoop of sirens, an announcement came over the PA. "First bridge, this is Mrs. Venture. I'm getting reports that 85 of the regular ship's company is in the process of boarding. We can sortie in twenty-five minutes."

"Good," said Venture. "Dash, do we have any planes on board?"

"One squadron, sir. The rest of the Tigers are at the base."

"Order the single squadron to take off as soon as we have some altitude," said Venture as he flicked controls like crazy. The dock shook for a moment from a bomb hit up on the surface. "Yamazaki, get me power! If we don't move…" he said, echoing Avatar's words back in 2199 when the _Argo_ had taken off for the first time, "…We're a sitting duck!"

"Yessir," said Yamazaki. "Auxiliary engines coming up now. We should have power to move in five minutes."

"Weigh anchor!" ordered Venture. "We're pulling in the gangplank and cutting off dockyard power in three minutes! Homer, inform Defense Command that we'll take off at exactly 1045 Hours!"

"Yessir!"

* * *

**II. IN BATTLE**

**Earth: Tokyo Megalopolis**

**Sunday: April 25, 2202**

**1029 Hours**

* * *

Back at the Wildstars' garage, in the din of battle as Nova, Hemsford, and Karl Forrester fired at the enemy, David Venture found a bottle filled with flammable cleaning fluid. He had just soaked a rag with the fluid, and shoved it into the bottleneck.

"What's that?" asked Carol, who was curious. Not far away, Teri sat chewing hysterically at her hands.

"Molotov cocktail," said David. "This should ward off these guys. Good idea, Hemsford?"

Hemsford nodded and threw him a cigarette lighter. "Do your worst, bro!"

"Don't wreck my _garage_ with that!" cried Nova.

"I'm tossing it _outside_," said David as he lit it. He threw the bottle.

A R'Khell officer shot at it. He missed, and got fire in his face. When the bottle smashed, he was turned into a screaming human torch.

Nova hit another trooper, but, then a scream came in the garage as enemy fire rang in.

"MOM!" yelled Jordy, who noticed that his mother had taken a hit in the stomach.

"I'll be…all right," said Carol dully as she clutched her stomach, looking at the blood that stained her white blouse and green skirt.

"She's bleeding!" said Tonya Parsons.

"Damnit," muttered Nova. Over her mother's cries and protests, Nova popped out of the hatchway, and dodged enemy fire to get to Mrs. Venture.

"It hurts," moaned Carol.

"I can help," said Nova. "Mom, get me some strips of cloth…I need to make a bandage!"

"Blood, all that blood," said Teri as she saw Nova pulling Carol's blouse up.

"Mom, I know it looks horrible, but I need that cloth NOW!"

Teri nodded; doing something would keep her mind off the hell they were caught in. She got Nova a roll of gauze from out of a drawer, along with some tape.

"Mrs. Venture, this is going to hurt," said Nova. "I need to pack that wound. Luckily, none of your organs are coming out or anything. Nova got a hanky out of her purse. "Bite on this. It'll stifle your screams."

"Is it okay to scream?" said Carol dully.

Nova nodded. "I scream whenever I get a tetanus booster. Here we go, I'm starting."

Carol stuffed the hanky into her mouth, and began moaning as Nova worked on her while a shocked Jordy and David watched. Then, the screams came, stifled by Nova's hanky.

It took a few minutes. Karl helped hold off the enemy as Nova worked, ignoring the blood on her hands. Finally, he and Hemsford exchanged another volley of fire with the enemy, and everything went quiet, save for the sound of Carol's soft moaning as Nova finished bandaging her up.

"Can you stand up?" asked Nova as she covered Carol up.

"I have flats on, thank God," said Carol. "I think I can do it."

"Let me help you," said Nova.

"Thanks," moaned Carol as she stood.

"It's over," said Hemsford.

"Good," replied Nova. "Mr. Venture, please carry your wife; her legs are shaking a lot and I don't think she can get down that ladder by herself. We have to get down there quickly…there could be more of these guys at any minute."

Nova wasn't as cool as she sounded on the inside. She felt as if she wanted to panic; she could smell smoke as part of her own front yard was obviously on fire. However, nothing could be done about it now.

"I've got her," said David a moment later as he picked up his wife, carrying her piggyback on his shoulders.

"Good," said Nova. "Let's go."

At that, she climbed down the ladder, disappearing into the near-darkness like a gopher going into her hole. The others began to follow.

* * *

In the underground city, they found two aircars. Nova drove the first one; Hemsford drove the other.

They drove though a confusing series of underground transit tubes, barely glancing at the lights in the windows of the underground city. _They're down here already,_ thought Hemsford. _This attack is driving the people back down into the Earth like rats. Those stinking R'Khells!_

Finally, after a few minutes, they emerged near the old underground Earth Defense Headquarters.

"You stay out here and watch everyone," said Nova as she reclaimed her shoes from Hemsford. "I'll be right back."

Nova jumped out, stepped back into her pumps, and ran like the wind towards the Headquarters building. On the way in, she stopped quickly to wash her hands at a tap outside, drying them as best she could. _I don't want to give the Commander a bloody note,_ she thought. _He has to be able to read Derek's request, whatever it is…_

Finally, Nova entered the Headquarters building, ignoring the gasps from the Staff as she walked up to the Commander after setting down her purse.

"Sir," she said in a very resolute tone. "Commodore Wildstar has sent me here with this request."

Commanding General Singleton took the note. He read:

**To General Singleton:**

**Pardon my tone, but we're in a rush. I've headed off to join the Black Tigers to help in the defense of the city. Please send reinforcements. My goal is to meet the_ Argo _after she takes off. I have ordered Commander Venture to begin a sortie. Also, please see to it that Lieutenant Wildstar and Lieutenant Hemsford are given priority transport to the ship. I plan to meet her in orbit after the air battle after Commander Venture gets her back into space, and Lieutenant Wildstar has been ordered to rendezvous with us. If possible, have as much of Task Force 1.1 waiting as possible as escorts. I mean to find and attack the enemy carriers where these planes came from. Finally, see to it that the civilians accompanying Lieutenant Wildstar are taken care of and provided sanctuary… and medical help if there are injuries.**

**Yours in Haste,**

**Commodore Derek Wildstar.**

"Are there injuries?"

"Yes. Mark Venture's mother has been hurt, sir. Can you get her transport to a hospital?"

"None of the hospitals are open yet down here," said the Commander. "And transport to Central Hospital would be difficult. Luckily, there is a Medevac Shuttle nearby that you can use. Have Hemsford fly you and Venture's family to the _Argo_…she'll just have to go with you until you can stop at a base. You and Doctor Sane can tend to her. Who are the other civilians?"

"My parents, sir, and Holly Venture's mother."

"I can arrange temporary quarters for three," said the Commander. "Have them come in here with you." He wrote some directions for Nova. "The shuttle is ten minutes away by Aircar at "C" Block. It's near an access hatch that'll let you surface near the undeveloped area around old Yokohama. From there, I'm sure that Hemsford can pick up the Argo by her IFF signature on radar." Then, he wrote another note. "This is for your husband's request. I'll do what I can to help."

"Thank you, sir," said Nova. "I'll have my parents come right in here."

Nova and the Commander exchanged salutes and then she left, running out as fast as her legs would carry her.

* * *

At the same time, Commodore Wildstar was in the air, flying like a madman as he shot down R'Khell plane after R'Khell plane over the Megalopolis and over Tokyo Bay.

On the radio, Hardy was jubilant. "Got another one, suh!"

"Good flying!" snapped Derek. Then, not far away, a R'Khell plane dropped its bombs right in the middle of a crowd of panicky civilians in the financial district. Derek saw an explosion and heard screams.

Gritting his teeth, he yelled. "Conroy! Cover my backside back there! I'm gonna bring that guy down over the park in that open space!"

"Right!" said Conroy as he began firing at an approaching enemy plane that focused on Wildstar's six. He got it, and Derek swirled and flew complex patterns as he lured the other plane towards the park.

Then, he flew up, around, and got the enemy plane in his own gunsight. Gritting his teeth again, he squeezed the trigger on his control stick, bringing the red enemy bird down a moment later.

A moment later, Angie Hartcliffe brought down a plane, followed by Bryan. Then, Laurel Hartmann brought down two planes, followed by Hardy.

"They're running, sir!" snapped Lubyanska over the radio.

"Okay," said Wildstar. "Everyone…we're gonna chase these guys into orbit. They can't go on forever. If we can find we're they're going, we can find those carriers. Everybody, follow me!"

The enemy planes ran on, firing now and then from the aft gun turrets as they gained altitude, breaking off the bombing attack on the Megalopolis.

But, Wildstar and his Tigers kept on the pressure. Soon, aided by another squadron of twelve planes from another Flight Group, they chased the R'Khells into space.

* * *

"We're moving!" said Homer on the _Argo_. "Great!"

"Told ya I'd have power soon," said Yamazaki.

"Good. Clear the dock, ahead point six," said Venture. "Prepare for takeoff in ten minutes…"

The _Argo_ soon cleared the cave, heading out into the open sea at a rapidly accelerating sped. She fought the waves, ignoring the wind and rain as a sudden squall kicked up, spraying rain on the mighty ship's bow and windows.

Then, the clouds began to break slightly.

"_Argo, take off!_" snapped Venture. He pulled back the yoke, and the mighty space battleship quickly blasted up out of the Great Eastern Sea, heading towards the clouds like a seagull as she opened her wings.

"We're gainin' altitude!" said Eager.

"Aliscea, do you have Wildstar's squadron on radar yet?"

"Yes, Venture, I've spotted them. They're at 75,000 meters over the Shimonoseki Straits, heading towards the Korean Peninsula."

"Good. We're following them. Dash, open our main guns."

"Yessir," he said. He started to set everything up. "Damnit! Trouble with turret number one again! Looks like a short!"

"I can fix that," said Sandor.

"No, I'll do it," said Dash. "Request permission to leave the bridge."

Venture sat in thought for a moment. Then, he heard Homer saying. "I have Wildstar on the bridge speakers."

Venture nodded. Then, he said, "Dash, go fix that turret. We might need it."

"Right away," said Dash as he left the bridge.

Then, a moment later, the bridge instruments went berserk.

"What?" said Venture.

Aliscea stood. "Oh, NO! The Dark Lord is trying to attack us!"

Aliscea shut her eyes, shivering at Ekogaru's spiritual presence.

"**This is the hour of reckoning for you, Crew of the rebuilt _Yamato_,**" hissed Ekogaru's voice from nowhere and everywhere at once. "**Aliscea, let us see if you can win in this situation. Are you up to a challenge**?"

"I am!" she snapped.

"**Then, pass into My presence**!"

* * *

On the bridge of the _Argo_, Paul ran over as Aliscea sat down again. She was sitting bolt upright, and did not seem to be aware of her surroundings.

Indeed, Aliscea's astral form had already left the ship.

Aliscea found herself sitting in a strangely familiar place…the Captain's Quarters of the pirate galleon _Arcadia._ She looked down at herself. _Interesting scenario, if this is real,_ she thought. _I'm in my astral form, semi-translucent, and barely dressed in a gauze dress at a chessboard._

Harlock turned around. It appeared the space pirate had survived. "Mime said that you and he were expected, so she set this out for your battle. The chessboard is real…"

"So, you survived that battle," said Aliscea.

Harlock nodded. Mime was utterly silent.

A black fog appeared, and the gruesome, hunchbacked translucent astral form of Ekogaru sat at the other seat.

"You disgust me," said Harlock. "Why take your battle here?"

"Because I wish for all of the scattered remnants of humanity to see her defeat first," said Ekogaru. "The news will never escape Earth since I will destroy it in three and a half days from now, if you are interested. If you care, that is…"

Harlock refused to answer, but he stood there with a clenched fist.

"Shall we begin?" said Aliscea. "It appears that I am the white. Therefore, I make the first move."

Ekogaru nodded gravely. It looked quiet, by there was a definite feeling of menace and hatred in the air as Aliscea moved her first piece, a pawn.

Thus, the battle opened…in a time, as it were, both inside and outside of Time itself.

* * *

In Earth's solar system, Lecha Voton sat on the bridge of his command carrier, the _Hehrendal._

"The attack goes well," said one of his lieutenants. "The flight groups from the _P'Charda_ and the _Yarzan_ continue to bomb Earth. The _Argo_ has taken off, but our planes should soon stop her, sir!"

"Wonderful," said Voton. "Keep us here, towards the rear…for the moment. Then, when the time comes, I shall finish off that ship before we can meet our main fleet by Alpha Centauri. Sandberg, do you like our plan?"

"Excellent…and thank you for the space submarine ride," said Piper Sandberg with a smile.

"Where would you recommend our planes hit the Argo?" asked Voton.

"The engine section in the aft part of the hull is a weak point, along with their gun turrets. Hit them there, and they should be easy to defeat…chivalrous damned bunch," laughed Sandberg.

"Your suggestions sound good," said Voton. "I think we will get along well together."

"So do I," said Sandberg. "_So do I_…"

* * *

In a period of time that seemed oddly distorted, Aliscea had hacked at Ekogaru on the chessboard, and he had hacked back. But, Aliscea's Queen, a Bishop, and a Rook now surrounded his King.

"Check," said Aliscea with a smile. "And this has a real effect. Already I can see you are weakening."

"I will not lose…to a girl like you," hissed Ekogaru.

"You are losing. Your power is fading," said Aliscea in a calm voice as Harlock and Mime admired her reserve. She wanted no one to know how weak she was becoming from this protracted psionic struggle. "My power is waxing. Do you wish to take this to another level, or stand down before I place you in Checkmate?"

"If I were to stand down…?"

"You would pull back your attack, take your Fortress, and go home," said Aliscea calmly but with a measured tone of menace as she spoke and began to gleam slightly.

"And if I refuse?"

"Then, I have no choice but to tell you our next battle shall be your last," said Aliscea in a calm voice. "If you do not turn about and head home, all I see awaiting you is Death…and I speak the truth!"

"How can you do that?"

"Your Fortress shall go down, with you in it." Aliscea began to move a Knight. "Are we agreed that you are now…in Checkmate?"

Ekogaru's eyes turned a vicious, gleaming red. He stood, snarled, and overturned the table and chessboard. "Damn you!" he snapped. "It is YOU who will be in your grave! You and the whole accursed, stinking, dunghill human race!"

Ekogaru screamed and faded away like a black cloud.

"Did you weaken him?" asked Harlock.

Aliscea nodded. "Substantially. I apologize for the choice of venue…"

"It was his fault," said Harlock. "We are near the Magellenic Cloud now, if you were wondering."

"Come to Earth?" asked Aliscea.

"I shall do that," said Harlock. "We shall meet again."

"Thank you," said Aliscea.

At that, Aliscea faded from the _Arcadia…._

* * *

On the _Argo_, Paul shook Aliscea's still form just thirty seconds after she went catatonic. "Aliscea!" cried Paul in pain and grief. "ALISCEA!"

Aliscea shook her head like a person awakened from a deep sleep. "Oh…I'm back. Good," she said in a tired, sleepy voice.

"Where were you?" asked Paul. Venture ran over as well.

"Confronting the Dark Lord on the pirate ship _Arcadia_, of all places. His power is weakening, and I have shaken his confidence, and have begun to seal his doom."

"Did you destroy him?" asked Sandor.

"No, it was a battle of minds and wills, and he lost. You'll note his Presence has left this ship."

"I see," said Venture.

"I need my cabin as soon as Nova comes back, though. I am so tired."

"I understand," said Mark. "We will give you whatever you need."

"Does your Chaplain…your Rabbi…does he have prayer candles?"

"Yes."

"Have them brought to me when I go to my cabin, please."

Then, a moment later, near Mark's post, the bridge speakers crackled.

"Venture, this is Wildstar!" said Derek. "I'm taking Third Squadron and coming back to the ship. Hardy's got those guys on the run!"

"Roger," said Venture. "Where's Conroy?"

"I think the comm system's out…he just went quiet," said Derek. "He's in my plane, in the tail gunner's place."

"Got you."

"Have you heard from Nova yet?"

"No," said Venture.

" I see," said Derek after a moment of silence. "I…"

"Aliscea had a battle with the Dark Lord," said Venture. "She said he lost."

"It drained me," said Aliscea. "I can't heal anyone for a day now…I'm afraid. But if Ekogaru hadn't been stopped now, we might all be dead."

"I see," said Derek over the speakers.

"Unidentified flying object!" said Eager. "Approaching at 95 degrees to port…."

"Should I ready pulse lasers?" said Rosstowski.

"Maybe you'd better," said Venture.

"Roger. Pulse lasers, stand by. Track that object!" said Paul.

Then, there was a burst of static. "…Come in…?" said a female voice. "Hello?"

"Nova?" said Venture. "Switch to video, Eager!"

He did, and Venture breathed a sigh of relief as he identified a Medevac Shuttle coming towards the _Argo_ at high speed.

"It's us," said Hemsford. "We've got some wounded here."

"Nova, is that you?" said Derek from his plane over the speakers.

"Yes…it's me…" said Nova. "If I sound faint, it's because I have a patient here that I can't leave! Tell Doctor Sane I need Sickbay fast along with a nurse's uniform and gear!"

"Who?" said Venture.

"…Mark?" said a weak voice.

"Oh, my God," said Venture with a loss of composure. "_Mom_!"

"Tell Doctor Sane we need four units of Type A Positive and a ready Sickbay!" said Nova. "Tell him to hurry! She's bleeding really bad!"

Aliscea sat in tears. "Mark…I cannot help you…"

"I understand," said Venture in a choked-up voice. "Upper Flight deck, grant that shuttle priority clearance. Lower Flight deck, prepare to receive the Commodore and his squadron!"

"Got it," said an officer below.

"Should I keep on tracking Hardy's squadron?" said Aliscea.

Mark nodded, trying to keep his lip from trembling. He just wanted to put his face in his hands…and cry…

* * *

Nova landed first. As soon as the shuttle was opened, IQ-9 came in with medical equipment, several units of blood, and a nurses' uniform and boots for Nova.

"Good," said Nova. "The blood's the right type. IQ, start the IV for the blood while I get into these things. I might be in surgery for a while."

She ducked into the head to change while David Venture held his wife's hand. She was getting weaker. "We'll have you in surgery soon."

"Good," she said in a quiet voice. "Uh…medical robot…?"

"I am IQ-9, a genius," said IQ. "Don't worry, you'll be taken care of."

"I hope so," said Jordy with a sob. Normally, he would have been very enthusiastic about being on the Argo, but now, he didn't care. He could see his mother was getting more pale by the moment as she lay there under the sheets that Nova had wrapped around her during the flight.

Somehow, he knew that unless they could do something soon…it might be the end for his mother.

_Why, God, WHY?_ Jordy thought to himself.

* * *

In the upper flight bay, Wildstar slammed in for a landing, being the last of his squadron to come in.

"Well, Conroy, we made it," he said. "Thanks for that shooting you did back there…you helped me to make it through that battle. You helped all of us."

Derek then reconnected his headset to the plane's internal comm system. "Conroy? Respond…please? _Conroy_?"

Then, Derek walked around, curious as to why the gun turret wasn't moving.

A moment later, he saw the hole in the turret…the blood… and Conroy's still form slumped over the gun.

Then, it hit him.

_God, he must've been killed in the battle! And I never even noticed! Oh, crap…my Tiger Group Leader…and my friend_!

Derek stood there looking at Pete Conroy's still body. Finally, he closed his eyes and took off his helmet in respect.

"Hey, Wildstar!" yelled Hartcliffe as he ran up. "Captain! What's wrong?"

"Conroy," said Derek in a husky voice. "Look."

Bryan Hartcliffe walked around, looked, and then, he took his helmet off in respect as well.

"Should I get the bleedin' medics, sir?"

"Yes," said Wildstar. "But tell them they don't…have to hurry. Not now."

Hartcliffe understood. He took off his glasses as tears began to run from his eyes.

In spite of their fights, he realized that he would miss the _Argo's_ Flight Group Leader…and so would everyone else…

* * *

In something of a daze, Derek walked up to the upper flight deck.

He saw Nova's shuttle sitting there.

Jordy Venture ran out a moment later.

"Hey, what are you doing here?" asked Derek.

"My mom," said Jordy. "Please, Wildstar, please tell me that your doctors can get her fixed up..."

"Your mother? What happened?"

"Shot in the stomach, Nova said," said Doctor Sane as he came up with emergency equipment. A moment later, Nova came out of the shuttle, pushing the litter that held Carol Venture. Mrs. Venture lay under the sheets, writhing in pain as she lay there with an IV of blood hooked up to her. IQ-9 held the bottle.

"Hi, Derek," said Nova in a tired voice. "Sorry…can't talk much now. Have to get her into surgery…"

Derek looked on as Nova smiled wanly, not bothering to push a strand of hair off her forehead. Then, she walked off with Doctor Sane and IQ-9.

Then, Mr. Venture ran up. "Sir. Is my wife…going to…die?"

"I hope not," said Derek. "I really hope not. We're…out here to try to preserve lives."

A moment later, the red alert klaxons went off. "I have to go," said Wildstar. "Sorry. It's my…ship…"

David Venture nodded dully. "I understand."

* * *

**III. TOO MUCH TO BEAR?**

**Earth Orbit**

**Space Battleship _Argo_**

**Sunday: April 25, 2202**

**1109 Hours**

* * *

Out in space, in the meantime, Jefferson Hardy flew along with his planes.

_I wish I knew where those enemy planes are going…they're just running now, not putting up much of a fight. Are we near those carriers?_

He got his answer a moment later as he saw two red space warships off in the distance. They were flashing signal lights of some type; the enemy planes broke formation and split into two "V's"

"Wildstar! This is Hardy! I've spotted the enemy carriers…ah've got two squadrons…mine and Lubyanska's. Seek permission to attack R'Khell carriers!"

"Go for it," said Derek.

"Roger," said Hardy. "Lubyanska, get your squadron to take the one on the right. "I've got the one on the left…"

"Roger," said Tatiana with a grim smile as she lowered her faceplate.

"GO!" said Hardy. "_Get them_!"

Hardy received a thumbs-up from Bryan Hartcliffe as he flew past. A moment later, Hardy was diving towards the carrier at full military throttle, shooting the enemy planes like clay ducks as he screamed in.

A moment later, he had missile lock on the carrier. He said, "Goodbye, you dirty creep!" as he thumbed his firing button. Missiles blasted off his wings a moment later, followed by spreads of missiles from his squadron mates.

The missiles roared in and, with explosion after explosion, they began their work, blasting hole after hole in the carrier _Yarzan_. Finally, Hardy's squadron roared off, satisfied that the carrier was done for. The _Yarzan _blew a moment later in a spectacular ball of flame.

Lubyanska's squadron did the same sort of work…blowing apart the second carrier, along with her returning planes. Only three planes were left from both carriers, and they quickly succumbed to the Black Tigers in quick dogfights. This time, only one Earth pilot was lost…but the loss was keenly felt as Laurel Hartmann finally met her fate; the ace EDF pilot had a R'Khell plane hit her six as she was shooting up another one.

"Are they gone?" said Hardy as he surveyed the carnage. He saw the remains of Laurel's plane and shivered_. I don't believe it…we lost a squadron leader,_ he thought, not knowing that Conroy was also dead.

"Looks like it, sir," said Angie Hartcliffe over the circuit. "I…wait…something else is coming in!"

"What?"

"More planes! And another carrier! NO!"

On the _Hehrendal_, Voton and Sandberg smiled as plane after plane roared off the flight deck into the fray.

"We're going to finish them once and for all!" said Voton.

"Wonderful," said Sandberg. "I have always hated that ship, and that accursed Wildstar! Little punk kid!"

* * *

"Great," muttered Hardy as more blips came up on his radar. "And some of those guys are heading right for the _Argo_! Lubyanska, break off and go protect the ship."

"Roger. What about you?"

"I have thirteen planes…I can take those others. GO!"

"Right," said Tatiana. A tear ran down her cheek as she saw the remains of Laurel's plane. "Goodbye, you _mooshnik_," she said with a grim smile. "You'll be missed, hon. You'll be missed…"

* * *

A moment later, the _Argo_ was under attack.

R'Khell planes roared in, blasting holes in the ship as missiles rammed into her weather deck, pulse laser turrets, and starboard hull in various spots.

Some of Sandor's recent repair work disappeared in new waves of battle damage as parts of the ship were hit. Inside the bowels of the _Argo_, more badly needed crewmen and crew women died as the ship trembled under the hits.

In Sickbay, Doctor Sane yelped as the ship trembled and the lights went out for a moment in the operating room. "Where'd _they_ come from?" he yelled. "I'm in _the middle of surgery_!"

"I'll get power back on," said Nova as she quickly found one of the panels in the dark; this had happened before. She got power back up and ran over to Mrs. Venture, almost tripping on the remnants of Carol's abandoned clothes as she ran over. "Oh no! Look! When we took that hit...she moved on the table…That blood vessel opened up _worse_ in her stomach!"

Nova and Doctor Sane looked in the wound as Carol moaned. She had been on the verge of shock, and couldn't have her intestines repaired under general anesthesia, so a local had been given instead. She opened her eyes and looked over the operating drapes. "My God, all that blood," she moaned.

Nova looked on in pity for a moment as she helped Doctor Sane get more instruments inside her. The blood vessel that the shock had opened was a major artery. Blood spurted out of Carol Venture like a burst garden hose. Soon, bright red blood was on the deck, all over Dr. Sane's boots and the lower part of his pants, and all over Nova's white boots.

"Where is that bleeder?" asked Nova.

"If it's where I think it is…"

"What's happening to me?" moaned Carol as she got weaker. "It _hurts_!"

Doctor Sane and Nova worked together to suction away the blood. A moment later, both of them worked together as IQ-9 handed them both instruments.

"My God," muttered Doctor Sane. "Nova…do you see that?"

"Yes," said Nova softly as she tried to keep control. _Her aorta's ripped…bad…_thought Nova. _One of those retractors fell into her and tore her when the lights went out. No wonder she's in pain…poor thing…and poor Mark! Poor Jordy!_

Dr. Sane's eyes met Nova's. He gave his head a subtle shake. Nova cast her eyes downwards, nodding once.

"What's happening to me?" moaned Carol as her world suddenly went dark. "Am I dying?" she whispered.

"Yes," said Doctor Sane in a very soft, defeated voice. "I'm not going to lie to you…you have about three minutes left."

"I wish I could have seen David…and my boys one more time…I love them so much…" whispered Carol.

"I'll tell them what you said," said Nova softly. "Do you want anything for the pain? It…doesn't matter now."

"No…I can't feel it," said Carol in a very weak voice. "You had a pretty dress on earlier today…can you put it…on me? And your shoes? I don't want to go into my casket like this…without anything on under these sheets…"

"I'll dress you in it," said Nova as she tried to hold back her tears.

"Good," whispered Carol. "Hail Mary…full of grace…the LORD is with thee…"

Nova held her hand as Carol gasped out her prayer, ending with, "Now…and at the hour of our death…"

The heart monitor suddenly stopped bleeping; its sound turning into a single alarm note just as the line went flat.

Carol trembled a little, and her mouth went into a momentary smile before the life faded abruptly from her eyes. Then, she went quiet.

Mark Venture's mother was dead.

"Call it," said Sane through tears.

"Eleven fifty-two Hours," said Nova, as her voice faded into a sob while she wrote out the certificate. Dr. Sane signed it, taking a big swig from his sake bottle a moment later. Nova shut off the heart monitor and helped Doctor Sane pull the sheet over Carol's face. Then, the _Argo _shook again, and the lights flickered.

A phone rang. Nova answered it. "Sickbay…operating room!"

"Nova, this is Natalie. We've got wounded from C deck. Can you guys fit them in?"

Nova nodded. "We can now. We just lost our patient."

"IQ-9, get her out of here!" barked Doctor Sane. "I need this room. And don't let the family see her like this!"

"I'll take her right to the morgue via the back way," said IQ while Nova and Doctor Sane disconnected Carol's body from the equipment. As an afterthought, the robot picked up the remnants of Carol's clothes and put them in a bag along with her sandals. Then, he left.

A moment later, a moaning enlisted man from Communications was brought in. He kicked and screamed as Nova and Doctor Sane cut his uniform off, evaluated him, gave him a local, and got to work.

_This one is gonna live,_ thought Sane. _I think._

* * *

"All planes…break off the attack," ordered Voton on the _Hehrendal_.

"But I thought we were going to finish them now!" said Sandberg.

An Earth Task Group is coming…we need to be safe with our escorts," said Voton. He bent over a screen operated by one of his officers. "I read a space battleship, two cruisers, and six destroyers approaching. They're going to crush us in a pincers move, so we have to leave now. Besides, Borland is one of those escorts…with the _Mogami_. He'll track them until we can make our next move!"

"Got it," hissed Sandberg.

At that, the _Hehrendal_ warped out after the planes left.

The change in strategy was so great that Commodore Wildstar wondered what was going on.

In the first gun turret, in the meantime, there had been a hit. Two crewmen had died, and Dash requested permission to remain on station there and help repair the damage.

Up on Bridge Number One, Derek granted it.

"Communication from the _Bolivia_," said Homer a moment later.

Captain Jorge Peronada appeared on the screen. "Looks like we got here a little late. I'm sorry."

"Who'd you bring?" asked Derek.

"Sir, we brought the _Mogami_, the _Danube_, and the destroyers _Osaka,_ _Beijing_, _Liverpool_, _Rio de Janeiro_, _Philadelphia_, and _Vienna_. I think we're ready to keep you safe until we can meet up with the _Lexington_ and the rest of the Task Force at Neptune."

"Good," said Wildstar. "Keep them at the ready. We'll signal you when we're ready to warp."

"Thank you, sir," said Peronada. At that, the image faded out.

* * *

In Sickbay, Nova and Doctor Sane's other patient survived. They made their rounds, and then Doctor Sane said, "Nova, where did you have the Venture family waiting?"

"In my Living Group office," said Nova as she put down a phone. "I just talked to Mister Venture…he and Jordy came through the battle all right."

"Did you tell them?"

Nova shook her head. "I think you heard me? I didn't. News like that shouldn't come over the phone."

Sane nodded. He wiped his brow, and kicked off his shoes. "We need to talk to them together. Nova, get me some clean things from out of that locker."

"Right," she said. "I'll need to put my sandals on with a new tunic…my usual things are a mess. I'm sure you don't want them seeing the blood…"

"I don't," said Sane. "Especially not the boy. Nova, after we tell them, you and IQ get her prepared, cleaned, and dressed before they see her."

"We will…I hope the enemy doesn't come back," she said as she pulled her boots off and then stripped down to her underwear.

"Me too."

Nova dressed in her fresh outfit, dabbing at her thighs with a cloth to get the blood off. Finally, she pulled off her OR cap and sighed. "Do I look presentable for the survivors?"

"Yes. Do I?"

Nova nodded. "You look good. But I bet you feel like crap."

"I do," he said. "Even I have to remember…we don't win every battle with the Reaper in this business."

"I know…but I hate having to break the news to families…especially the children."

* * *

On the First Bridge, all was quiet for the moment. At Venture's post, he had just enough time to begin worrying about his mother. _It's been a while. I wonder how Mom is?_ Mark thought.

Then, his intercom went off. "This is Navigation!" he said.

"Venture, this is Doctor Sane."

"How's my mother? Did she come through the surgery all right? I'm sorry that you guys had to work around her, but…"

"Venture, we have something to tell you…please meet with Doctor Sane and I in my office." said Nova in a soft voice. Knowing Derek might be nearby, she said, "Derek, can he be relieved now?"

"I'll take the helm myself, Nova." Derek left the Combat Group Leader's station and moved into Venture's seat. "Come back when you're ready."

"Yeah," said Mark as he and Derek shook hands.

Mark's heart was pounding as he left the bridge.

"What about Mom?" said Jordy. "Doctor Sane…can you tell us?"

"You have to wait until your brother comes down here," said Sane in a stern professional voice.

"It's not good, is it?" said David Venture in a despairing voice.

"Things…didn't go too well down there," said Sane quietly.

"My God," said David Venture in a quiet voice.

A moment later, Mark showed up. He knew at once things weren't good when he saw everyone's expressions and Nova just took him by the hand as soon as he came in.

"Mark, you're all right."

"Yes, Jordy, I'm fine," said Mark as he hugged his little brother. Then, he looked up. "Nova…Doc…?"

Doctor Sane took a deep breath and cleared his throat. "Mister Venture, the operation on your wife was a little dicey, but going well until the ship took a hit around 1145. In that hit, your wife was slammed into the table, and some medical instruments inside her slipped when we shook hard a'starboard. A major blood vessel ripped."

"Oh no…" said David.

"Dad…Mark…is it…?" asked Jordy. "I…?"

"Doc," said Mark as he shook Doctor Sane by the shoulders. "You're not telling me that…?"

Sane nodded. "I'm very sorry. Nova and I did all we could, but the damage to her was too great. Your mother died in battle on the table at 1152 Hours. She said to say she loved all of you…very much…"

David Venture put his face in his hands in grief. "Carol…" he muttered. "Over twenty years…and I didn't get to say goodbye…"

"Mommy!" cried Jordy. "My Mom!" He fell sobbing against Nova's bare legs.

Mark walked over to Nova and Jordy in shock. Nova threw an arm around him. "Your mom was a fine woman," said Nova through her tears. "And I'm so sorry…so sorry for all of you…"

"When…when can I see her?" said David as his raised his face. Tears streamed from his eyes.

"It'll take a while," said Nova. "I think I can come for you at about thirteen thirty if we don't have any more combat. The _Argo's_ still in danger, you know. You can wait in here in my office."

Sane plunked down his bottle of sake. "Mister Venture…Mark…you two can finish this. I think you're going to need it more than me."

"Thanks," said Mark.

"I have to go now," said Nova. "I'll have Holly come down, Mark. She can comfort you."

"Thanks, Nova…never thought you'd be in attendance when my mom died."

"We don't know a lot of things, Mark. I could be dead tomorrow. Any of us could be. Life is fragile. We just enjoy what we have now…we don't know if there's going to be a tomorrow."

"Who told you that, Nova?"

"You did," she replied softly. "Remember? I'll…see you later…"

* * *

**IV. A COLD, DARK REQUIEM**

**Space Battleship _Argo_**

**The Jupiter Area**

**Sunday: April 25, 2202**

**1512 Hours**

* * *

The _Argo_ had made two space warps, and was now heading for the Ganymede Station to drop off Mark Venture's family and the body of Carol Venture. They would then head back to Earth aboard an EDF personnel transport escorted by two gunboats.

In the morgue, Nova stood in the cold, looking at her breath as she put the finishing touches on Mrs. Venture's unclad body.

"Good," said Nova quietly as she disconnected the embalming equipment. Conroy's body lay nearby on another gurney…Nova had just finished with him, as well, and he lay under a sheet. "I was able to seal up your stomach with the laser welder, clean you up, and fix your hair." Nova looked at Carol's still features…her eyes were now closed. "Now, all we have to do is dress you, and then you'll be ready to show to the family."

Shivering a little as some cold air hit her bare legs since she had not had time to change yet, Nova bent down to pick up the undergarments she was putting on Carol…panties, bra, and a slip. Nova hummed a little bit of Bach as she dressed the body. The undergarments were some of Nova's own things, along with some precious, still hard-to-find new pantyhose that she rolled up Carol's bare legs. Nova got the white dress and shoes, and gently finished dressing Carol a moment later, lying her back down on the gurney with her hands folded over her chest. Nova tucked a clean white sheet over her up to where her hands were. Then, Nova folded Carol's hands and placed a small bouquet of fresh flowers in them.

Tears ran down Nova's eyes as she examined her finished handiwork. "You look so nice in my dress, Mrs. Venture," she said softly. "I wish I could have seen you in it while you were alive. I wish you could have danced in this with your husband, or something. Maybe you can hear me from Heaven…I hope I did all right."

"_You did fine_," said a cold voice that came from nowhere. It was sarcastic and filled with malice. "_Too bad you won't look so good when you're dead, Nova!_"

Nova shivered even worse…her fingers went stiff with cold as a phantom shape began to appear, and the cold at the floor was so intense that Nova felt as if she was barefoot in the Arctic, even in her sandals.

"Ekogaru," said Nova with hatred in her voice.

"Like the cold?" said the Dark Lord as he stepped closer as he solidified. Then, he snapped his fingers. Nova's dress and shoes disappeared, leaving her in just her underwear.

"You…vile…thing," whispered Nova as tears of rage ran down her face.

"Where is Aliscea?" said Ekogaru.

"None of your damned business," said Nova as she picked up a coroner's knife. The knife was a bit bigger than a regular scalpel, and was designed for gross cutting in autopsies.

"I command you to tell me where Aliscea is!"

"Go soak your head!" snapped Nova as she shivered.

"Holding me off with a little blade?" chuckled Ekogaru.

"I'm getting used to it," said Nova.

"What do you mean?'

"I held off one of your goons with a smaller one once. Now get off my ship before I…before I… cut out your poor excuse for a heart!"

"Don't I frighten you?"

Nova _was_ scared, but she wouldn't admit it out loud to _him_. "If Halloween tricks are the best you can come up with now, you're getting pretty damned pathetic! You're one poor excuse for a God!"

Ekogaru roared, and he literally threw himself at Nova.

Nova got the blade up just in time. As Ekogaru pounced like a cat, he literally impaled himself on her blade.

Ekogaru roared in rage and pain as he looked at the blade sticking out of his stomach. Underneath the thin cladding of plastic skin he had recently built for his ravaged body under his cloak, his cyborg "blood" pulsed out in regular waves as he looked at his ruined artificial guts.

"Doesn't feel so good when you're on the _receiving_ end of the pain, _does_ it?" said Nova. "_Now get your ass off my ship_!"

"Who do you think you are? Aliscea?" hissed Ekogaru.

"How long has it been since you've just had your butt kicked in a fair fight?" said Nova as she put up her fists.

Ekogaru began to laugh. "I am a God! Yet I am being menaced by a mere organic in her underwear who weighs a hundred and twenty pounds soaking wet!"

"That's a hundred and eighteen," spat Nova, who had forgotten her fear in her anger. "C'mere…"

Ekogaru raised his hand, and Nova found herself pinned to the wall by some sick force that concentrated itself at her throat. Her eyes bulged, and she tried to talk…all that came out was a strangled croak.

"Strangulation is a wonderful way to die," said Ekogaru as he pulled the knife out of his own guts with a gasp of pain. He held it up, and flames ran down the blade. "Now, we can combine that with a bit of live dissection. Like to see how your own guts look hanging out of your damned stomach? I wonder what your liver looks like?"

Nova gasped and croaked. _Well, guess this is it, now_, she thought. _I'm going to die right here in this morgue…pinned to the wall like a bug in someone's collection! I hope I hurt you good, Ekogaru!_

In her mind, he whispered back, _I will repair the damage, you scum! Too bad I don't have a cross! You'd look great nailed to one about now! Now, prepare to die in the same room you should have died in back in 2200!_

Nova gasped and coughed as the tip of the blade touched her stomach above the navel. As soft as a lover's caress, Ekogaru began to slowly dig in…and a small line of dark red blood appeared on Nova's stomach as he tenderly began to cut…

The door flew open a moment later. Ekogaru gasped as some force whipped the blade out of his hand into the wall.

There was a howl, and a ball of flame blasted towards the Dark Lord.

Nova's eyes widened as the fire blasted around both of them, burning the Dark One where he stood, but leaving her miraculously untouched as the force at her neck weakened.

Shocked, Nova felt herself sliding gently down the wall as Ekogaru writhed and screamed.

Nova remembered once being on an amusement park ride as a little girl…a ride called "The Gravitron". It was the sort of ride that spun around and pinned you to the wall with centrifugal force…a simple ride, but very amusing for a ten-year old with no fear of heights. She remembered the sensation when the ride slowed down and one gradually slid down off the padded wall. Save for the fact that this wall was metal and she wasn't wearing the romper and sneakers she had been wearing that day, it was just like the ride as Nova slid to the deck. She was surprised as the flames licked within millimeters of her and did nothing except provide some very blessed warmth.

"Aliscea, you filth-monger!" yelled Ekogaru.

"Better to be a filth-monger than a fish-monger," said Aliscea with a light smile. "Commodore Wildstar, stay back! Venture, keep your family back! He's still very dangerous!"

"I shall destroy you," said Ekogaru.

"Like hell you will," said Aliscea, who was still in her sailor dress; Nova noticed that something was wrapped around her waist like a sash. However, Nova also noticed that Aliscea was swaying on her feet somewhat. "Come at me, Ekogaru! Give me your best shot!"

The Dark One laughed and turned on her. He fired back a blast of bluish flame that blasted through the doorway, holding off Commodore Wildstar, Mark Venture, his father, Jordy and IQ-9.

"Oh, no!" yelled IQ. "We're going to get roasted!" Jordy screamed and hid behind his father.

Aliscea blasted back. Derek ran up, but Aliscea's gesture of power towards the door shut the hatch in Wildstar's face. From inside, Derek heard his wife shouting his name.

"Nova! Let me in there to help her, Aliscea!"

"Give us a minute!" cried Aliscea.

Aliscea shut her eyes, raised her eyes upwards, and muttered something in Pellian.

A moment later, a green haze came from her hands towards Ekogaru.

A green light appeared in the Dark Lord's eyes as he saw the mist coming. He shut his eyes, shielded himself with his arm, and faded away like a ghost, beaten at last.

From her place on the deck, Nova looked on in awe. "What did you do, Aliscea?"

"Not much, except to force him back. I've drained my life-force very deeply to do so, though." She then removed the sash around her waist. "I have anticipated and foreseen this. I need you. Put this on and get yourself decent," she said, tossing the bundle of cloth at Nova.

"What is it?"

"Unfold it. It is a Pellian robe of silk," gasped Aliscea. "It's ceremonial garb. Now, follow me."

"How did you beat him?" asked Nova. "I'm sorry I'm so insistent, but…"

"I weakened him hours ago. Now, I have drained him of more power, with the expense of putting my own life in danger. My life force is actually…fading. Hurry up and dress! You are needed before I place myself in a healing trance."

"Do you need me to examine you?" asked Nova as she pulled the silken robe-like garment on over herself and tied the sash.

"Nova!" yelled Derek outside.

"NOVA!" yelled Mark at the same time. "Are you all right in there?"

"I'm fine! Give me a minute!" said Nova as Aliscea opened the hatch.

Derek ran in, embracing Nova after he entered. Then, Nova explained what happened.

"Will he be back, Aliscea?" asked Derek.

"Let us hope not," said Aliscea.

Mark Venture came in a moment later. Nova looked at him. "Your mother's done…but Ekogaru tried to attack me right when I was finished. IQ-9, take Mrs. Venture out of there to Sickbay for the honor guard to come get her after she's placed in her casket."

"Yes, Nova," said IQ. He brought he out a moment later.

When David saw her, the tears came afresh. Jordy began to openly sob.

"Mom, you look beautiful,": said Mark in a very quiet tone as he squeezed his mother's cold hands. "Too bad you can't hear us…"

"She looks very nice, Nova," sobbed David Venture.

"Thank you…"

"What are you doing on duty in a dressing gown?"

"Long story," said Nova. Aliscea turned to Derek and said, "Commodore, get Nova's clothing. She'll need it afterwards. Then, meet us in my quarters."

Derek nodded. Nova and Aliscea left.

* * *

**V. PASSAGES**

**Space Battleship _Argo_**

**Ganymede Base**

**Sunday: April 25, 2202**

**1619 Hours**

* * *

A while later, the _Argo_ landed briefly at Ganymede. The Venture family said goodbye to Mark and left the ship with Carol's body in an EDF casket, while Conroy's body was left on board to be prepared by some of Doctor Sane's other nurses, since Nova was unavailable. The transport was waiting to take David and Jordy back to Earth with their mother, who would be buried in the Ventures' old hometown of Amsterdam, New York in the United States.

Mark stood saluting in tears as the transport left with its escort. Then, he wiped away his tears and got back to work. Some final supplies needed to be loaded onto the _Argo_ for the upcoming battles she would fight. The supplies would have been loaded on Earth, but the procedure couldn't be finished because of the unplanned early takeoff for the ship.

In the meantime, in Aliscea and Paul's cabin, Derek and Paul stood watching something that looked like a mysterious ceremony of some type that Aliscea had been planning for some time.

Nova wished they would hurry up…under her robe, her light cut was beginning to burn; she thought, _I wasn't even given any time to treat that, and it hurts! Well, guess I'll have to just bear it a bit longer…_

Rabbi Greenberg stood in the room in his prayer shawl. He had a Torah scroll open, and murmured prayers in Hebrew as he lit candles. The sitting room of Paul and Aliscea's VIP cabin was filled with candles and incense, and a silken cloth had been spread out on the deck over the carpet. It was white, covered with an intricate circular pattern of Pellian characters in gold and blue; the letters resembled Hebrew writing. At the center of the cloth was embroidered a large six-pointed star.

Aliscea had taken off her sandals and went barefoot as she stood at the edge of the cloth. Nova had been positioned at the center of the cloth, and she stood there wondering what was going on. While she stood there, she parted her robe slightly at her stomach to expose the wound. _What a mess…that really needs to be cleaned up!_

Aliscea scattered some incense from an incense burner on a chain, and then she said, "What you are about to see is a Pellian rite seldom ever seen by offworlders. It is a rite that evolved from the time before Pellias was first even colonized ages before…before the Pellian people were taken from their first world by the permission of the One. I have a secret about Pellias I need to share…Earth has an old link with Pellias. A very ancient link…"

Aliscea paused. Rabbi Greenberg was finishing a prayer he thought was most unusual…the _kaddish_…a prayer for the dead. Yet, Aliscea had requested it, along with a reading of some of the Psalms in the original Hebrew.

"Rabbi, you may leave now," said Aliscea. "The rest of this rite may only be shared with a few."

"Of course," he said. He closed his Torah scroll, kissed it, and prepared to leave. .

"And Rabbi…"

"Yes?"

"Thank you for the Shabbat candles. I trust you, they are needed."

"Why is that?"

"This room is now consecrated," said Aliscea. "You stand on holy ground. Please go."

The Rabbi nodded and left.

* * *

On the _Hehrendal_, Voton received a transmission. "Yes?' he said.

The voice-only transmission hissed a bit. "This is Borland. I'm in a ship's head on the _Mogami_, using the portable unit you gave me, but I can't talk long. I am near Ganymede with the _Argo_. I cannot talk for long. They are planning to strike the rest of your Fleet at Centaurus tomorrow. Please be ready for them."

"We shall be. Where is the flagship now?"

"On Ganymede. They plan to come to Neptune to meet the rest of the Task Force, hold a meeting at nineteen hundred, and then they will begin the journey towards Centaurus. The _Argo_ and her escorts will lead the Fleet. I think you can hit the _Argo _near Neptune right before they begin to warp into interstellar space."

"Let me know when she is vulnerable," said Voton.

"I shall," said Borland. He smiled as he said, "They think I am an escort…but I am really an enemy. Isn't this amusing?"

"It is," said Sandberg from the bridge of the _Hehrendal._

* * *

"I have something odd that I must tell you," said Aliscea.

"Which is?" asked Commodore Wildstar. Paul did not reply, since through his bond with Aliscea, he already knew the answer.

"About four thousand years ago, in your reckoning, a spacecraft piloted by a race long since unknown to us, but which we call the Ancestors in our lore…was permitted to take a small band of my ancestors out of a nation on Earth called Egypt. Our histories say that it was in the days after a great drought in Egypt. The people who left Egypt were a small group, of only about two hundred souls. We were taken, it was said, because the wisdom of those ancient Terrans was needed along with the knowledge of the Ancestors. Upon arriving at Pellias, the first of our Astral Guardians was trained in the techniques of the Ancestors and then bore a child fathered by an Ancestor. Eventually, the Ancestors merged with the ancient Terrans, forming the Pellian people, which, nonetheless, preserved the secrets and traditions of the representatives of those twelve tribes of Terran wanderers."

"Twelve tribes?" asked Nova. "Did your ancestors…by some chance, come from Canaan?"

Aliscea nodded.

"But that's just a legend!" said Paul. "Joseph and his dreams…the Exodus…Moses…did that really all happen? And did some of them end up in space? That's nuts!"

"It did. It is a legend at the heart of your faith," said Aliscea. "Yet, my ancestors left Earth long before Moses was born. We were taken when the patriarch Jacob had just died."

"So, you're really from Earth?" said Derek. "That sounds incredible!"

Aliscea shut her eyes before continuing. "This was not the first time this happened, nor would it be the last, as it is said that the Deingilians' ancestors were taken from Earth by another ancient race, albeit an ancient race whose goals were not as altruistic as that of the Ancestors who took us. We also were kept appraised of the doings of our brother tribesmen on Earth by other means…however, we were forbidden to interfere, save by prayer. At any rate, even though we adopted the Ancestors' advanced technologies, our efforts a thousand years later were concentrated on fighting Ekogaru, so we could do little for Earth save to reach out to it in meditation and prayer."

"You must have known much about our progress," said Nova.

"We did," said Aliscea. Then, she continued. "The ancient Terran ancestors of the Pellians, as well as their sundered brethren on Earth, had a tradition of anointing prophets and prophetesses, representatives of the Divine among our people. My mother at her breast as a baby anointed me as such. Then, soon afterwards, the Matrix of Pellias; the psychic well of knowledge of our ancestors, and the source of some of my power, was conferred upon me as an infant after it passed from my mother to me."

Aliscea paused again. "Paul and I have realized that my strength is fading…that I may soon die, since I have pushed myself too hard in stopping Ekogaru. Three times today, I have fought him or his representatives. Three times today, I felt close to the edge of Death. I am so tired…."

"You can't die!" said Nova. "We…we…need you and the power you possess! Without that…"

"I may die," said Aliscea. "I may not. That has not been revealed to me yet. Nonetheless, in preparing for my death, I realized that I have no daughter…yet…to pass the Matrix to. Neither do I have a sister to pass it to. Normally, for the Matrix to pass on, a daughter or blood relative must be prepared."

"But you don't have one," said Nova. "What are we going to do then?"

"Nova, there is some hope. In the distant past, as the Matrix has informed me, it has been passed to another of our people who became part of the family line, as it were, by a rite known as _Pal'torjan_…a sort of adoption. Then, later, a descendant of that woman to whom she had passed the Matrix to, within a generation, had married a member of the family line of my family, returning the Matrix to our family. I do not know whether or not this will be the case or not. In one vision of my future, I see myself naked with my daughter at my breast, and she coos as she is Anointed and the Matrix is formally passed to her after her Preparation. In another vision, I see you doing so to your daughter…"

"You…didn't ask me if I wished to participate," said Nova softly.

"But the Matrix has chosen you as a potential successor," said Aliscea. "Yes. I might have to place my mantle upon you. Are you prepared?"

Nova stood in silence for a moment. She didn't know if she could take this step…or not…

* * *

On his Fortress, Ekogaru stood in his Council Chamber, hissing and snarling as he moved about with his cane.

He had dissected Yvona's rotting remains earlier in the day. Now, her cyborg skull, a mixture of metal and bone, sat grinning at him on his organ. A black candle had been shoved into the now-empty braincase through the top. The Dark Lord lit the candle and began to scatter blood around it. The blood had not been hard to find. He had many prisoners…and many victims…on his Fortress.

Then, he sat down and began to play _Passicaglia and Fugue in C Minor_ all over again. The Dark One caused his eyes to go dark, struggling as he played robotically, missing notes as he played.

_We are soon to warp again,_ he thought. _And soon, I must complete my research…to live on! My cyborg form is dying…growing weaker, and weaker and failing. But, I will soon have an alternative. I will survive! I will live! And, with my mind inside the systems of the Fortress, I shall be immortal at last. Then, Aliscea's acts no longer shall matter. I shall outlive you, you accursed little scum!_

_You wounded me, Aliscea. You, and your Terran whore would-be adopted relative who shoved a knife in me without any shame even after I stripped her for her Death! And you think you shall prepare her to stand in your shoes? Not likely, Aliscea, not if you die before you can make the transfer, _thought Ekogaru.

He stopped playing, and picked up Yvona's skull. "Why couldn't you kill her, you fool? You were trying. You had my power! Why could you not have stopped this then? WHY?"

Then, one of Ekogaru's officers came in. "Lord Ekogaru?" he asked.

"YESSS?" roared the Dark Lord.

"After we warp, the Council would meet with you."

"Good," said Ekogaru. "I will talk with them! I am on the verge of a great _discovery_!"

"As you wish, My Lord," said the officer. He bowed, turned, and left, leaving Ekogaru to his organ music, and his laughter.

As Ekogaru laughed, he thought. _Now what can I do? Yes, I can cause some discord on the _Argo._ Wonderful, beautiful hatred… it will not be hard…for Terrans do not accept that which they cannot understand!_

He caused the inside of Aliscea and Paul's cabin to appear on his screen, and, with a twisted smile, he began to perform his work upon the Terrans' minds….

* * *

"So, what does _this_ mean?" asked Nova in a suspicious voice. "And could you hurry? I'm in pain from that knife wound Ekogaru gave me…it's just a nick, but it _does _hurt."

"If I were to die, you would use my power, which I would confer upon you before my death. It would take a mere moment once you were Prepared, which means you share a psionic link with me."

"But…I'm not sure I'm ready. I told you that!" said Nova. "I mean…uh…I have no psionic ability or your ancestry. Maybe you should bring someone else up here to anoint?" laughed Nova. "Someone more suited than silly me, certainly!"

Aliscea then did something very unexpected…she slapped Nova across the face. The young Terran stood in shock as Aliscea screamed, "Well, then, maybe you want to see Earth burn, face the One, and see Earth dead because you could only _laugh _about this? Do you wish to become the reason for the death of humanity and then become accursed for all eternity?"

"Hey, _wait a minute_!" said Nova, whose face and stomach were now burning with pain. "I thought your people didn't believe in forcing anyone to do anything. I'm not psionic, I'm not related to your ancestors, and I don't even have an inkling of how to fight Ekogaru psychically like you do! What makes you think I'm just gonna accept your offer? I want to help you, but…this goes a little far. No offense, but I can't be _you_!"

"That's right! And _no one_ goes around slapping my officers and family members!" yelled Derek. "I don't care if you're the High Grand Whatever…you don't hit Nova like that or force her to participate in your rites if she doesn't want to! Now, apologize, or get the Hell off my ship!"

"At this point, Derek Wildstar, if you cast me out, you will have no hope against Ekogaru!" yelled Aliscea.

"Yeah?" challenged Derek.

"Derek, please," said Nova as Wildstar and Aliscea glared at each other with fire in their eyes.

"Nova…you know we can fight for ourselves! About forty wave guns shot up that Phased Density Cannon of his could do it! I think we can do this on our own now, _without_ your help! Why don't you take Paul…if he wants to go, and get on that transport and leave?"

"Derek…" said Nova. "Again…Please…think about what you're saying! I can't be her, but maybe someone else could do this?"

"Like hell. From here on, we can fight Ekogaru ourselves…can't we, Nova…?"

"I don't know," said Nova. "But, I know that I can't do this," she said, reaching for her clothes. "Let me put back on my nursing uniform. This robe is very nice, but…I don't think I can go through with this."

"You heard her," snapped Derek. "Aliscea, go pack your things…"

Aliscea gritted her teeth. "Very well, _Commodore_ Wildstar," she said in acid tones. "If that is what you _desire_, then I shall leave. It is a pity that both of you are unwilling. Derek, you were an ally of ours, and you protected our people. Nova, I thought you were becoming a sister in suffering…I thought we were bound together in fighting the Dark Lord…you even fought today, as I would have…with courage."

"We can still fight," said Nova. "But, I don't know if we can fight _your_ way or not. We Terrans are very practical people. We believe in spirit, but maybe we have enough spirit in our ship?"

"Very well then; I am dying, and will do nothing to try to keep myself alive if you do not wish me here. I can just say, _"to hell with it"_ and die in peace with no struggle to live and no pain! I will go back to Earth and die before Ekogaru comes so I don't have to see the end! You need not come, either, Paul. I will sever our bond, divorce you in the manner of our people, and damn the consequences! I have had _enough_! I will fight no more for a band of damnable ingrates who refuse to see beyond their fears and superstitions!"

She then came to Paul, and put her hand on his head. "Paul, because of my anger, I will break our bond! You shall henceforth be alone to…"

"Aliscea, don't do that," said Paul softly as he took her hand off her forehead. "I want to stay with you. We need you! I need you. Derek and Nova need you, too, even though they are both angry at you and the way you have acted at times."

"Damn right I'm angry," said Derek. "Hitting my wife."

"I'm confused, that's all," said Nova as she stood holding her clothes. "I don't know if I can do something like this or not."

"You see, Aliscea? They just don't understand this," said Paul. "Please show them some respect? Just as you showed me respect?"

"Show respect?" said Aliscea. "I will pray that the One damns you, Nova Wildstar, for refusing the burden I mean to prepare to pass unto you…"

"You're gonna pray that God damns me?" snapped Nova. "Boy, some friend you are! I ought to slap _your_ face for that!"

"Come here and try it," said Aliscea. "I'll burn you where you stand!"

"You do not threaten _my_ wife!" roared Derek. He drew his weapon.

Nova dropped the clothing. She picked up a ritual dagger and stood beside her husband in her thin robe in silence, ready to attack Aliscea if she raised a hand against her beloved.

Wildstar and Nova stood confronting Aliscea and Paul. For a moment, time seemed to freeze.

_Is this where it ends, killed by our allies?_ Derek thought.

He slowly took the safety off his weapon. "Aliscea!" he yelled. "If you wanna hurt Nova…you are gonna have to get past _me _first!"

"It will be a pleasure, Commodore Wildstar," hissed Aliscea. "It will be a great pleasure, since I have had enough of your impiety! _Enough_ of your mocking things you cannot understand!"

* * *

**_To Be Continued with Act Two: "First Movement of a Symphony in a Minor Key…"_**

* * *

**_THERE ARE NOW 4 DAYS TO THE ARRIVAL OF EKOGARU IN EARTH'S SOLAR SYSTEM_**


	2. Chapter 2

**ALTERNATE TALES OF THE STAR FORCE**

**STAR BLAZERS-RAGNAROK**

**Being the eleventh and final part of THE RIKASHA INCIDENT- BY: Frederick P. Kopetz**

* * *

**ACT TWO: FIRST MOVEMENT OF A SYMPHONY IN A MINOR KEY**

* * *

**I. DEPARTURE FROM GANYMEDE**

**EDF Ganymede Base**

**Space Battleship ****_Argo_**

**Sunday: April 25, 2202**

**1632 Hours**

* * *

On the bridge, Venture spoke to Captain Peronada. "We're ready," he said. "We can take off at sixteen forty-five. Then, we'll warp."

"I see," said the Captain. "Where is Commodore Wildstar?"

"Busy. But, he'll be speaking to you soon."

"Good…I can't wait to speak to him on our base at Triton, Neptune's moon. Let's hope he gets done soon. Good luck, Commander Venture."

Mark nodded. "Good luck, Captain."

* * *

Nova looked at Aliscea. "I thought we were _friends_," she said.

"We were, but not when we stand at cross-purposes," said Aliscea. "Shoot, Commodore Wildstar!"

At that, Derek prepared to shoot.

He was so enraged that he was about to try attacking Aliscea.

The conflict between them had gotten that bad in a very short time.

And Nova had no idea what could be done as she stood there with her dagger, with the pain from Aliscea's slap and Ekogaru's stab ringing through her like a dark, terrible torment as she stood there barefoot and very cold in her thin Pellian robe.

* * *

**II. O, SWEET BIRD OF PARADOX!**

**Mother Town**

**Planet Iscandar**

**November 30, 2231**

**1634 Hours: Earth Time**

* * *

"Look at what I can do!" sang the young, slender twenty-one year old Pellian in a near see-through gown at a formal reception on a beach near Mother Town on Iscandar. She had just made a hole appear in space-time. Images ran through it.

"Katrina, don't show off, please," said Novalia Rosstowski, who was Katrina's stepmother, after a fashion, while she stood next to Paul_. She looks so much like her mother did_, thought the somewhat older but beautiful Pellian who had been close to Aliscea_. I wish things would have gone differently…and that she would still be with us…and with her daughter._

"But I _have_ to!" said Katrina as she stamped her bare foot. "And I'm a lady of high rank! Don't you have to listen to me, Mother?"

"I'm not sure…when it is, perhaps, a questionable decision, Lady…" said Astra of Iscandar, who was, for the time being, reigning as Queen, because of where Starsha was. She was both alive…and not alive, yet she was at the gathering, albeit in a different form. Astra was now a bit older, but still looked beautiful_. Will this help explain so much of what happened in those times?_ Astra thought quietly.

"Aliscea would have wanted it, I think," said Alex with a nod. "Permit it, my Queen."

"Go ahead then," said Astra.

"Yes, go for it," added Sasha with a grin as she held the hand of Deke Wakefield, her life mate.

"You would say that," said Astra.

Princess Sasha stuck her tongue out at her elder sister. Not far away, Astra and Connor's adopted son (who had experienced another great loss in 2208) Jonathan Hartnell-Iiyama Wildstar, now grown, was talking to Ariel Wildstar, who looked very much like her mother Nova at that age, down to the First Star Force Living Group uniform she wore in gold and black.

Then, another couple came up, one of them in a black peacoat with many medals, and the other one, in a translucent blue gown that somehow resembled the sort Queen Starsha had worn on warm days on Iscandar; a gown that was nothing more than a gossamer thing that showed the elegant, otherwise unclad body beneath the gown.

They made an interesting couple; a full Admiral, and a woman who now shone with Light as a Queen of a world and people she had adopted. Ariel and a young man in a Star Force Combat uniform with wild brown hair but his mother's eyes nodded in deference to them…after all, one has to respect one's parents at a party. The Admiral wore a slight moustache, and the Queen wore a White Orchid in her hair.

"Stop, right there!" commanded the Admiral. "My God…I looked crazy then."

"Yeah, you looked a bit like me, Dad," joked Alex Wildstar III, who was named after his uncle. But that was a story for another place...another time.

The woman looked. "I _know what this is!_ I have to step through. Katrina, please hold that open for six minutes!"

"It's dangerous!" said the Admiral. "Don't!"

"I have to," she said. "If I don't everything we have now will cease to exist in one shot…a shot you're about to fire, by the way! Oh, by the way, I know I come through this all right. I remember now. After twenty-nine years, I finally get my answer! I'll be back."

And, at that, the Queen, also now a physician, strode confidently through the time-space portal that Katrina Rosstowski had just created, and she walked back exactly twenty-nine years into her own past…

* * *

"Believe me, I will. I'll bloody shoot you!" said Derek with gritted teeth.

"Derek, can't we think about this?' said Nova.

"It's us…or them," said Derek.

Suddenly, all of them saw a strange pinkish-yellow column of something like gas appearing in the semi-darkened room. "Trust me," said a somewhat muffled, but audible feminine voice from inside the gas. The, the cloud changed shape. It looked like a door.

"Huh?" said Derek as his eyebrows went up.

"Aliscea, is this some _trick_?" Nova asked.

"No, it's not," said Aliscea as she put down her arms. "I swear…it's not…"

A moment later, a shape appeared in the gas.

A somewhat older woman, with very youthful features but the confidence of young middle age walked out of the opening. She had blond hair, and wore an interesting gown…a translucent, long dress in blue that looked a bit like one of Queen Starsha's gowns, which was so gossamer that her trim, lightly gleaming nude body showed beneath the gown. She skipped along off the sand of the beach in bare feet, and somehow looked a bit younger than her true age of fifty-one. It looked as if she had just come from a formal function of some type (and, indeed, she just had; a ball held by the Queen of Iscandar was certainly formal enough!)

"Hullo? Do I hear a fight here? Sorry about the time paradox," she said in a soft voice that all of them recognized, since it was Nova's own voice, albeit just a little bit older, like the woman herself. The older woman spoke in a voice in a somewhat more matronly manner than her younger counterpart as she looked on and calmly said, "You see, I am here because I just learned you'd need a little push for everything to make sense. I'm the future that we'll see if you do this, Nova…and if you just calm down and chill out, Aliscea! There is hope! Ekogaru _can be defeated!_ I've seen it! I've lived it! Where I come from, he is now dead!"

"You're…_me_?" said the younger Nova. "I don't believe it! Derek, I don't ever know if I'd run around in such a thin dress in public!"

"Believe it, "said Aliscea, who looked frightened by the figure. "I sense….this is real…and I don't know how or why this is happening, but I think she is…"

"Need my ID card, Nova?" chuckled the older Nova. "Don't you believe the evidence of your own eyes? Of course, due to the Blinovitch Limitation Effect, I can only be here with you for five minutes. But, then again, I know you were always a little hard to convince when you were scared. And as for you, Aliscea…calm down! You're acting like your father now. We don't _need_ this!"

Nova looked the older woman up and down, while Derek looked at her with his eyes going wide. Nova finally said, "So, you're…?"

The woman in blue smiled, sighing. _How could I have been so dense?_ Nova thought. "Yes…I'm you, Nova. Or will be if Earth makes it through this."

"Which means I have to calm down," said Aliscea with tears in her eyes. "Calm down and think rationally, that is."

"That's right," said the older Nova. "You put down your hands and stop wanting to kill everyone. You're acting like your dead, evil father! Nova, we have to put down that knife. Please give it to me."

The younger Nova hesitantly gave her older self the knife. Not knowing how she would learn to do that, she watched as her older self flung it over her shoulder into the portal. "Don't worry about that," said the elder Nova. "That's not going where I just came from."

"And where'd you _come_ from?" asked the younger Nova.

"Can't tell you; that's a secret," smiled the elder Nova. Then, she walked up to Derek, who still stood holding his gun. "As your ship's surgeon, I order you to put the safety on and put that thing away, Derek."

"But you don't have an MD degree yet!" protested Derek.

"She doesn't, but I do!" said the elder Nova. Paul stood open-mouthed as the very dignified woman with the air of a much prettier (and sober) Doctor Sane walked forward until Derek's gun poked her in the stomach. "Come on, Derek…cooperate with me. Or, if you're too tense, just hand it over?"

Derek nodded and let the future version of his wife take the gun out of his hand. The elder Nova put the safety back on and handed it to her younger self. "You'd better hold this."

"Uhhh…what are you really like?" asked the younger Nova as she took the cosmo-gun from her older, more serene counterpart. Everyone's desire to fight had faded away as the two women stared at each other, with shock in young Nova's eyes, and familiarity in the elder Nova's eyes.

"I'm like you, with three kids, a Medical degree, more rank, and a ton of experience I can't tell you about, since you have to live through it. Or, rather…we do."

"What are you like as far as…psionic power goes?" whispered young Nova. "Did you… go through with what she proposed? You seem like a more powerful personality than me."

The older Nova nodded. "I did. It changed me quite a bit. I have some sense of intuition that I didn't have when I was your age, and other gifts. Or, maybe _you_ have them already, but don't know how to focus them yet," said the future Nova. "I can't tell you everything…except…except if you do it, you'll give us hope. We'll make it. You just have to have the courage we've always had…the courage to do something new, and to ignore the Dark Lord."

"Ignore him?" said Aliscea.

"Yes," said the elder Nova. "Don't you know this _is_ his handiwork, silly? _I_ do. Calm down, have hope, and forget the hatred he is trying to cause, and _trust_ each other, damnit! That goes for both of you, got it?"

Aliscea looked at both Novas and sighed. "I'll…repent of what I said. Paul, I'm sorry."

"I hope you are," he said. He looked at her, but wouldn't hug her. He was still seething inside at her betrayal.

"Derek…sir...I'm sorry, too," said Aliscea. "Nova, I'm sorry I struck you."

"I can forgive you…I think," said Derek. "But I can't speak for Nova. It's up to her. Do you want to forgive her, Nova, or have her leave?"

"Let her stay," said young Nova after a long moment. "Aliscea …I'm going through with it. I'm sorry."

"And we will do it," said Aliscea. "Then, I need to rest…"

"Good, Aliscea. Nova, I knew you would…or I knew _I_ would," laughed the future Nova. "I guess you just needed a little push."

"How'd you get here?" asked young Nova.

"You'll find out," said the older Nova impishly as she kissed her younger self on the forehead. Then, she walked up to Derek and winked at him. "You'll see me again in about twenty-nine years. Of course, you'll look pretty good then, too. You'll also look…nice with a moustache, Derek."

Then, the future Nova gave Derek a very passionate kiss while they hugged. "Do your best," she said. "Where I'm at, here, this could still fail in a minute, and I'll never be. But, I think you can do it…both of you. Good luck."

At that, the future Nova broke the embrace, turned away, and said, "I'll be back, Nova…if this works out. If you want to see me in the future, just look in the mirror."

"Bye! Just to let you know again, I'm going through with it!" said the current-day Nova.

"Great…I knew you would…"

The future Nova stepped through the portal and left.

"Aliscea, if this is so important, let's get this over with, shall we?" said Nova.

Aliscea nodded. "Thank you."

Then, she paused. "Put your arms around me. Then, relax. Derek, I need your help. Stand behind her."

Commodore Wildstar nodded.

* * *

Aliscea wiped away her tears and said, "First, I must apologize for the way I spoke to you. If you truly don't want it, I will find someone else. Please forgive the way I spoke to you and your husband."

Aliscea knelt and kissed Nova's toes. "No…you don't need to do _that_!" said Nova. "That's _silly_!"

"Silly? I need to atone."

"Get up, Aliscea," said Nova. "We'd better get on with this. It seems that we have orders that go higher than my wishes, or even Derek's. Derek, if you don't want to see this, you can leave. But I just want you to know I am doing this of my own free will."

"All right," huffed Derek. "I guess I can't _stop_ you…if this were anything less, I'd order you to your cabin…"

"And I'd refuse and you could court-martial me later," said Nova.

"We're not doing that, so let's not talk like that," said Derek. "Let's be cool."

"Good for you, you cowboy of outer space," laughed Nova. :"Okay. Let's all make up with the lady…shall we?"

"Aliscea, I'm sorry I lost my temper, " said Derek.

"Aliscea, if you're sorry, I'm sorry too," said Paul.

"I'm sorry," sobbed Aliscea. She and Paul embraced.

Derek smiled. Then, he said, "Can I kiss Nova before this…rite begins?"

"Apology accepted. And, yes, you can kiss her," said Aliscea. "Pardon me…I need to get into a ceremonial robe like hers. I will return."

About two minutes later, Aliscea returned, clad in a white robe like Nova's, and also barefoot. Aliscea came forward with a small bottle of oil. Both women stretched a little, and then, Aliscea gently put Nova's arms around her waist. "You have to be touching me for this to work. I don't know if this will work, but we need to be ready in case I die…in case the healing trance I am going into soon does NOT work. Mind you, I am trying to keep alive. It is better _I_ fight Ekogaru. But, if not, you must do it. And, if I am about to die, I will know it, even in the trance, and will transfer the Matrix and my powers to you before I die. Just as Ekogaru empowered Yvona, the Matrix can empower you."

"It's always been women who have shared this?" said Nova

Aliscea nodded. She put a hand on Nova's forehead. "_Naphtali is a doe set free that bears beautiful fawns…_"

"From the Book of Genesis?" said Nova.

"Yes, although our ancient ancestors actually heard Jacob firsthand when he said those words. It seems that, deep, deep down, long ago, in your mother's side of the family, there _was_ an old ancestor of yours from the Tribe of Naphtali…the same tribesmen from whom _I_ am descended. There is a family link between us, although about seventy-five times or so removed…funny, I also read a trace of Pellian blood in you, too. Maybe some of us came back?"

"I don't know," said Nova.

"Another mystery, for another time," said Aliscea. "If we share blood, even in the distant past, it makes the likelihood this will work even better…."

"I'm, still kinda…scared," said Nova. "Lord, I'm sorry…I don't know if I have the courage to do this…or…not…"

"Nova…please," said Derek.

"But, I'm going through with it," said Nova.

"Good," said Aliscea.

What Aliscea didn't tell Nova was that if the semi-sentient Pellian Matrix rejected her as a successor…it would probably kill her, and Aliscea might die along with her.

At that, Aliscea put her hands on the small of Nova's robed back, above the buttocks, and began to recite a slow song in Pellian.

The ritual had begun.

* * *

Outside, in the world around them, the _Argo_ disengaged from the dock as she had many times before.

The wave engine came up.

_I wonder where Wildstar is?_ Mark thought. _What is going on?_

Outside, the transport carrying Carol Venture and her survivors took off. Mark saw it leaving, and said, "All hands…salute."

The bridge crew saluted.

"All hands, prepare for takeoff!" said Venture a moment later. "I'll signal the crew in two minutes, Sandor."

"Very good," said Sandor from his post on the not entirely-full bridge; both Wildstars, Dash, and Paul Rosstowski were missing. Dash was still working on the first gun turret along with some technicians from Mechanical Group.

"Port and starboard engines are coming up," said Yamazaki. "The wave motion engine will be up in five minutes."

"Good," said Venture. He looked back at the radar; Holly was at the cosmo-radar now. "Mrs. Venture," he said with a lump in his throat.

"Yessir?"

"Commence your scans now. Make sure our course is clear. We'll meet the rest of the fleet at seventeen hundred; and we'll warp at seventeen-forty-five."

"Got it," said Holly.

* * *

Nova shivered pleasantly as oil ran down her body on top of and under her robe; Aliscea was pouring oil on her head while she recited a slow song in Pellian. There had been a few ritual washings with water, some incense had been burnt, and incantations had been recited.

"Now, for the formation," said Aliscea in Terran English. "This will form the psychic bond between us that will last for five days, unless I break it. It will enable me to transfer the Matrix to you if needed. Do you accept?"

Nova nodded.

Derek looked on with apprehension as Aliscea carefully placed her hands on Nova's forehead. Then, she sang, "_A'led, A'led…d'matrrnsha manshta…l'chaim…l'chaim….l'entrevalshta l'morgat…enval-estha…wa tralan vaaashta…va'sthla…amed_…"

Nova felt warm, safe, and accepted as Aliscea then embraced her. The Pellian kissed her cheeks, and thought, silently, _Nova…can you hear me?_

_Yes…I can…Aliscea. This is wonderful!_

_We can exchange thoughts, as long as needed to ensure I can pass the Matrix to you if I am about to die. If that happens, you can then enter Shalinskar with Derek as you form a bond with him. _

_Will this keep me safe from Ekogaru?_

_It will… Nova. My presence was weakened, so that's how he got through before. But now, I am leaning on you a little, and our defenses are up again._

"Now, I must ask all of you to leave except Paul," said Aliscea as she hugged Paul. "I will not be available for the next day. Neither will Paul…he must stay with me here to help me through the trance, and we must renew our bond at that time, too, since it was not broken but was compromised by our serious killing discord before. Commodore Wildstar take Nova into the other room. I will give you privacy. After you dress her again in her nurse's clothing to restore and undo some of what Ekogaru did to her, it is important that you take her to your cabin."

"I understand," said Derek.

"There, you must strip her yourself, tend her wound and bandage it, and bathe her in your shower in warm water as soon as possible, both to take the oil off her and relax her. Then, you must dress her in her regular uniform and help her to the messhall and make sure she eats a full meal. Then, her strength shall return. Be gentle with her…she is in a very vulnerable state right now," said Aliscea as she handed Derek all of Nova's nurse's uniform.

"I understand," said Derek as Nova walked over to him. She looked very dreamy and relaxed, and did not seem to be fully aware of her surroundings.

Paul and Aliscea turned away as Derek walked Nova into their bedroom and shut the hatch. In the semi-darkness, Derek held his wife on the carpet and gently dressed her like a rather sick child. "I hope I make it through this, Derek," she whispered while he put her dress on her and closed the fastening. "I'm so sleepy…"

"Aliscea said it was normal. No, don't pick up your shoes…I have to do that."

"Will I be able to return to duty?" asked Nova is a very drowsy voice. All she wanted to do now was sleep, not caring that she was sitting half-dressed with Derek on Paul and Aliscea Rosstowski's carpet.

"I think so," said Derek as he finished dressing her by putting her foot in her shoe and buckling it. "Can you walk?"

Nova nodded. "I'll have to lean on you." At that, she yawned.

Derek held her hand. He brought Nova back out, and then looked at Paul and Aliscea, but not for long. Aliscea now had nothing on, and she sat in Paul's lap having her hair stroked. Wildstar simply felt he had to avert his eyes from this inadvertently-seen moment of tenderness between the Rosstowskis.

"Take care, you two," said Paul with a wink while hiding the most delicate parts of Aliscea's willowy body.

"We will," said Derek. The Commodore gently grasped Nova's hand as she stumbled along in what seemed to be a sleepy state. _So different from the way she was before on that coffee_, he thought. _I wonder what that ritual did to her?_

Aliscea remained silent, but she smiled at Nova and Derek as they left.

"Now, I can heal in peace," sighed Aliscea. "I'm sorry I said those things before, Paul. You may divorce me if you wish."

"I don't want to do that!" said Paul hotly. "You're tired…you're sick…and you need me…don't you?"

"Yes, I need you. Do you need me?"

Paul nodded his head, with tears in his eyes.

"Good," said Aliscea. "We need each other." Then, she smiled, and sent_, Carry me to bed, Paul._

_I will._

_And, Paul?_

_Yes?_

_please hold me. I don't want to make love now…all I want…is to enter my trance and sleep._

_I love you, Aliscea. Please come out of it all right._

_I think I will_, she sent back.

* * *

**III. TO NEPTUNE, AGAIN**

**The Solar System, Past Jupiter**

**Space Battleship ****_Argo_**

**Sunday: April 25, 2202**

**1806 Hours**

* * *

The First Bridge of the _Argo_ was back to normal again, but rather quiet.

Derek Wildstar sat at the Combat Group Leader's post next to Venture in his plain Star Force uniform. Dash had returned from the first gun turret and he sat at the Artillery post for the first time in a long while as Derek had requested…"for now" he said.

Nova sat at the Cosmo-Radar again, back in her normal Star Force uniform and boots. Eating a good meal after the ritual washings had helped her regain her strength, and Derek's treatment meant the wound no longer hurt under the small gauze bandage she wore under her uniform, but everyone noticed she was fairly quiet and subdued. Finally, Eager sat at the battle radar post near Sandor.

"You know what?" said Dash.

"What?" said Homer.

"This is the first time we've _all_ been back in our normal spots at the same time since the Comet Empire. No offense to Yamazaki, who is good…but won't quite replace Orion…but…it feels nice, being "home" again, for a bit. Why did you ask this, Wildstar?"

"Because I think being back where we all began will help us for a while…at least until Paul can come back again."

"Nova, did Wildstah try some new perfume with you?" asked Eager. "Ya smell different!"

"Eager, no offense, but I don't want to talk about it," said Nova in a very soft voice. "There's some things between Derek and I that should stay secret."

Homer and Eager exchanged playful leers behind Nova's back at _that_ one. "Okay," said Eager. "Ya wanna hear about the reunion that mah girlfriend Lisa and I had?"

"Not right now, Eager," said Nova She was lost in thought, thinking of a day when she would apparently need glasses_. What made me like that?_ Nova thought. _What makes me a figure…who can put a stop to a war like that? Do I acquire the Matrix? Does Aliscea die?_

"You all right?"

"I've had a weird day, that's all," said Nova. "Believe me, you wouldn't want to be in my shoes today. It was a rough one."

"Yeah…I bet it was rough," said Sandor.

"Trust me," said Nova. "That's why I don't want to discuss it…"

"Is it time?' asked Commodore Wildstar.

"Just about," said Venture. "Nova?"

"The _Bolivia, Mogami, Danube_, and the escorts are keeping station," replied Nova from her radar.

"They say they're ready," said Homer.

"Good," said Derek. "Make preparations for warp."

* * *

"Sir?" asked an officer on the _Mogami_. "We've received the order to warp. Are we ready?"

"Warping," muttered Captain Borland. "Yes…warping our…"

"They need that all-clear ASAP!" said the comm officer. "Wildstar's in a rush!"

"_Sir?_" said the ship's Deputy Captain. "The Commodore is requesting that all ships send an "all-hands-ready" signal before the fleet warps!"

"Oh…sorry, Mr. Belknapp," said Borland. "Yes…let Wildstar know we're ready!"

* * *

"Ten seconds to warp!" said Venture on the _Argo._

"Homer, what's with the _Mogami_?" asked Wildstar.

"They're reporting now! _All-clear_!"

"Five…four…three…" counted Venture as the dimensional indicator went up and down the valleys.

"Voice channel open!" commanded Derek.

"Open!" snapped Homer.

"two…one.." said Venture. "_Ready_!"

"All ships! This is Wildstar!" snapped Derek. "Warp on my mark!"

Then, Derek looked around; everyone was ready. He snapped, "WARP!"

"WARP!" repeated Venture.

The _Argo_, as well as the rest of her fleet, faded as one into hyperspace in a blaze of color.

* * *

A few minutes later, after completing the warp and after some cruising in normal space, the cold disks of Triton and Neptune loomed large in the _Argo's_ bridge windows.

"Where's the rest of the Task Force?" asked Derek. "They're supposed to be here."

"They should be here any minute," said Nova. "I've just acquired them on radar. The new group joining our fleet consists of one carrier, one more space battleship, two patrol cruisers, eight destroyers, and ten gunboats. Range, nine hundred megameters!"

"Thirty-two ships in all Wildstar, including us," said Dash. "_We're_ gonna pack a punch, aren't we?"

"Yes, this Force will hit them with over a hundred and seventy fighters total if we achieve surprise," said Derek.

"That's way more than we had at Titan, ain't it?" said Eager.

"No, actually just a little less," said Derek. "Remember…we don't have a full complement now, and we have just one carrier with a full load of sixty strike fighters and twenty-four torpedo planes along with those _Jamaica_ class space battleships, which can't carry as many planes as the _Argo_. We had more carriers at Titan, remember…three carriers, as opposed to just one.

"Sir," said Homer. "We're being hailed by the _Lexington_."

Derek stood. A moment later, the image of a youngish African-American man in a Captain's peacoat faded in. "Commodore Wildstar," he said. "It's an honor to meet you, sir. Captain Jameel Spears at your service."

"Are you related to Admiral Spears of Third Fleet?" asked Derek.

"Aye, aye, sir," said the younger Spears. "I'm his son. How's he doing?"

"Fine. I saw him about two weeks ago on Titan."

Spears sighed. "Looks like Dad's getting ready for the balloon to go up back there with _his_ fleet, huh?"

"He is." _Wildstar's so young_, thought Spears. _The guy looks like one of my lieutenants and he's our commanding officer! He must be thirteen years younger than I am. Let's see how the legendary cowboy of outer space does commanding us out in the interstellar gulf. Anyone else that young, and I'd be scared out of my wits, man!_

"Well, if we see him in this, or you do, send him my regards, sir. What are your orders?"

"Take your carrier group and escorts down to the base. I want to meet with you and the other Captains at nineteen-thirty so we can get together on our intelligence and what I'll need you to do."

"Of course," said Spears. "It'll be a pleasure, sir."

The two men exchanged salutes and then the conversation ended.

* * *

It was nineteen-ten when Commodore Wildstar sat in an office just off a briefing room on the base. He was looking over all of the intelligence on the R'Khell carrier force that they had gathered from their scout ships, as well as intelligence that both the Rikashans and Gamilons had given them.

_I wish we knew more,_ thought Derek as he wiped his chin with an edge of his dress ascot. _More about their tactics, full number of planes they have on each of those things, and what they do in battle. Cha'rif told us on Rikasha that their priesthood was very secretive. I wonder what it's like to be some kind of warrior priest pilot? Maybe these guys do go into battle on drugs like they once falsely said my ancestors did back in the Pacific. Even the Gamilons told us that these people are fanatics. Like we didn't know that already, Desslok._

A knock came at the door. "With all respect, please, I'm busy!" snapped Derek. _I wish I could've done this on the ship_, he thought. _You could fall asleep in one of these offices! _

"You're even too busy for your yeoman to see you, Skipper?" chided a familiar voice through the door.

"Oh…_you_. Come in."

The door opened, and Nova stood there in her whites and red ascot with a tray that held a coffeepot, cups, and several notebooks. "Do I get a tip for running this stuff off the ship?"

Nova set down the tray and Derek kissed her on the nose. "Will that do? And you didn't have to put on your class A's for this."

"I wanted to look really good for that meeting, probably a bit vain, but…well…I thought my bandage showed in my regular uniform….that thing is so tight. Half the Fleet doesn't need to know I'm hurt."

"Sorry."

"That's okay. You'll owe me more later."

"You're perky."

"Too much of my own coffee, I guess," said Nova as she poured them two cups after inserting a message capsule in a computer. She felt a bit jittery. "This is the latest from the patrol cruiser _Nile_," she said. "They got this visual scan on their time radar an hour ago. They're out there tailing these guys. I don't think they know we're on to them…_yet_."

"Wonderful," said Derek with a smile as he looked at a visual of many red R'Khell carriers. "Right there in the Centaurus System. Do we have a tactical on that?"

"Not officially, but I got IQ-9 to do one."

"What did you bribe him with?"

"A hug," said Nova as she sat back down. "If I didn't have to sit at that desk running the projector in front of all those Captains, I wouldn't have changed." She pulled up a computer mouse and clicked on it. "Here they are…big, red and ugly."

A detailed tactical scan came up, complete with estimated tonnages and numbers of planes on the enemy carriers.

"Tinwit's good at this," chuckled Derek.

"I told him it was for me…I think he gave me the extra mile," said Nova. "What's that group doing off over to the side?"

"Cha'rif says that formation is called a _D'Vahldehaz_."

"_D'Vahl_ what?" said Nova.

"It translates to "Assassin Group," said Derek. "He told us that based on what he knew of the secret R'Khell tactics, they always keep a core group of carriers in reserve with planes ready to launch for Fleet ops."

"In other words, they've got a ready-made Combat Air Patrol," said Nova. "Are they in flight like our patrol planes?"

"They're ready to go at all times, even when they refuel the other planes on other carriers." said Derek. "Very nasty tactic, but, unlike us, they don't keep much more than a token force of planes up at all times…they don't keep the equivalent of two squadrons up like we do. Big mistake. They depend upon those pickets to engage an enemy force and spot it. We'll have to hit those four carriers first, hoping that the scanners on the other twenty-eight don't get our planes. Too bad Desslok's not around for _this_ battle. SMITE would be a great weapon to sic on those guys."

"We'll need a good recon group to go in first and spot them and then raise the alarm…people who can fly like maniacs and get out of there fast…and who aren't afraid to play strike fighter, too."

"Any suggestions?"

"Sandor, Lubyanska, and Angie and Bryan Hartcliffe… Steve and IQ-9 will lead them in. I'll remain on the ship and keep an eye on the time radar, regular radar and other sensors, of course."

"Good idea. I'll sleep on it," said Derek.

"Don't sleep too long, we've got a meeting," chided Nova. "C'mon…drink your coffee?"

"Do I _have_ to?" said Derek in a tone of voice like that of a spoiled child.

Nova just nodded.

Derek began to drink his coffee.

Then, another tap came on the door.

"Yes?" said Wildstar. "Come in."

"Sir," said Captain Borland. "I had some questions about my role in this."

Nova's eyes locked on Borland's face and she stiffened a little. _My God, that's him! _She thought. _The same man I found at my father's law office yesterday stealing things! _

"Um…Ensign…are you all right?" said Borland. "Sir, does your yeoman require smelling salts or something? What kind of help are they giving you…kids who've never gotten their noses out of their books?"

"I beg your _pardon,_ sir?" asked Nova.

"You beg my pardon?" snorted Borland. "Listen, I'll only say this once!" Borland banged the table and put his face right in front of Nova's. "Take your Goddamn mouth and shut it! You are the biggest snot-nose kid in a skirt I've ever met! I'm trying to talk to a Flag Officer you stupid scum, Miss…."

"That's Mrs," said Derek.

"Oh? Sir? Is her husband in the Fleet? Would you tell him this little female rat of a damn secretary just ruined her career as of now?"

_Secretary?_ Nova thought. She was very insulted by this particular Captain. _He's worse than Knox was! Much worse! Derek, you'd better stick up for me!_

Borland snorted. "Wait until I talk to her CO and get her a damn fitness report that'll ensure she's assigned to Outer Mongolia by herself in a forgotten base supervising the ordering of toilet supplies!"

"Captain, you don't recognize one of my top officers, who also happens to be my wife?" said Derek in a soft voice as he took Nova's hand and squeezed it. "Lieutenant Wildstar, holder of the Sunburst of Honor and the Iron Cross? And do you always talk to women that way?"

"Oh…" said Borland. "I see, sir. You don't rate an ordinary yeoman, do you? Sorry!" said Borland.

"Did we meet somewhere before, sir?" said Nova in a "pleasant" voice as she kept her temper in check.

"I don't remember ever meeting you, Lieutenant," chuckled Borland. "Not ever in my…"

"Something about _slamming drawers_?" said Nova softly.

"Where was I slamming drawers?" said Borland pleasantly.

"In my father's law office, when you were rooting through drawers in a filing cabinet that was supposed to be locked?" said Nova pleasantly. "What were you doing there?"

"I…I…I…I did not come here to be accused of something by…"

"A Goddamned Office Lady?" said Nova softly.

"You damn nosy Parker you! Sir, with all respect, please teach her how to respect her superiors!" snapped Borland. "Like…with your belt?" he snorted as he rooted through the inner pockets of his peacoat. He dropped some papers on the floor before he angrily pulled out a pack of cigarettes and lit up.

"Captain, the smoking lamp is NOT on in here!" snapped Derek. "Put that out! And show some respect to your superiors!"

Borland got up and stalked out of the room without any military courtesy whatsoever, slamming the door behind him hard enough to make a picture of Commanding General Singleton fall off the wall.

"A belt, a Goddamn belt?" said Nova with shock in her eyes after she picked up the papers. "He was advising you to use a _belt_? What rock did he just crawl out from? I felt like killing that creep!"

"Yeah…something's rotten in Denmark," said Derek. He thumbed a button on the desk. A moment later, an enlisted female yeoman showed up in a uniform similar to Nova's. "Sir?"

"Sergeant, get me the personnel jacket on a Captain Borland of the _Mogami_. You can give it to the Lieutenant after the meeting."

"Of course, sir. Do you require anything else?"

"Yes…Two sets of Form 205's…and get me the personnel jacket of any Captain here on TDY who can command a ship of cruiser tonnage or upwards. Preferably someone I can trust at my back."

"Why, sir?"

"Because I don't trust that guy," said Derek with a slow smile. "Nova, do you think he'd like orders to Outer Mongolia?"

Nova nodded. "And _do_ assign him a job in Logistics ordering toilet supplies?"

Derek nodded slyly. "I'll do that. But I'm also having him investigated. Something about him…doesn't smell right."

"Definitely not," said Nova. "I _know_ he was up to no good now. I just _know_ it."

"Did I miss something, sir…ma'am…?" asked the Sergeant.

"No you didn't," said Derek. "Carry on, Sergeant."

"Aye, aye sir," said the young brunette as she walked off.

"Wonder what these are?" said Nova as she looked over the papers.

"His laundry list?"

"I don't think so…I…"

Then, Nova opened the papers and looked at them. "Oh, my God," she said softly. "Derek…look!"

He looked. Then, he slowly unfolded the papers. "A report to Sandberg and a second one to your crazy Aunt Yvona…what a brazen traitor! This says he's communicating to the enemy with a portable miniature comm unit. He's not getting out of this building, he's…" said Derek in a flat voice as he picked up a phone.

"What? said Nova.

"Going to be very useful…let's let him communicate to the enemy one last time."

"But he'll give away all our information!"

"Not if I give a false execute time at the meeting…"

* * *

A while later, Nova sat at a side desk in the good-sized briefing room while Derek addressed the other thirty-one ship captains of Task Force 1.1.

"And this is the latest intelligence we have," he said as Nova brought up the image of IQ-9's tactical diagram. "They have a _D'Vahldehaz, _or, Assassin Group of four carriers off to the side flank of the main group, about ten megameters away. This Group provides advanced cover for the others while they refuel or prepare weapons."

"Where's their Combat Air Patrol, sir?" said Captain Hiroshi Udagawa of the battleship _Potemkin_. By an interesting twist of fate, the same ship that they had once fought under Yvona's command was now repaired and part of their Task Group.

"They don't have much of one, oddly enough," said Derek. "They're more like pickets…I understand they raise the alarm and then the planes ready to go at all times on the decks of that Assassin Group launch to get any enemy planes coming in. That gives us a quick margin of error if we can silence those enemy planes and then hit those decks really fast before they launch."

"Classic carrier tactics, sir," said Commander Avram Steinmetz, the new skipper of the cruiser _Danube_, he was a younger man in standard blues who sat next to Captain Udagawa. "Is that right?"

Derek nodded at that, tapping the screen with the pointer. The young Commodore thought, _What am I supposed to do with this naval hat on my head? I feel like an idiot in this. Hope I'm not showing it._

"What's our role in this, sir?" asked Denise Carroway of the _Dragon. _Some were surprised to see her in command of a new gunboat, not familiar with the battle near Procyon that led to her being ordered to turn in the battered _Valkyrie_ for repairs at Brumus on the 18th of April. She sat in her blues and white peacoat some distance away from Steinmetz, to his right.

"I'm sending in four gunboats to back up the fighters and torpedo planes when we attack that main fleet, and you're leading them in" said Commodore Wildstar. "Your job will be to finish what we and the other planes start with the main force. I don't want a single carrier deck left working in that fleet when you get back. Then, we'll take care of the rest of them with some long-range space naval gunnery to make certain they never get home again. The attack time will be around 0200 tomorrow morning as soon as we spot the enemy. Got that?"

"Thank you, sir," said Carroway.

"And, sir, notwithstanding our discussion earlier," said Captain Borland as he stood up. "What sort of role will the _Mogami_ play?"

"Escorting my flagship."

"Sir, we're a patrol cruiser," said Borland as the other skippers began to mutter amongst themselves.

"Patrol cruisers can act as Fleet cruisers in emergencies," said Wildstar. "That's your job, Captain, and you'll do it. Got that?"

"Yessir," said Borland as Wildstar glared at him for a minute.

"Are we clear on our mission objective?" said Derek.

Everyone nodded.

"Great," said Wildstar as he took off his cap. "I'll see you in space. Dismissed."

The group stood and saluted.

"Borland," said Derek. "Don't leave yet."

"Sir?"

"This way, Captain. Back to my office…I…no…let it wait for ten minutes. Get some coffee, then meet us there."

"Yessir," said Borland with a smile.

* * *

Borland slipped into the men's head a short time later and took out his transmitter.

"Sandberg?" he said.

"Read you loud and clear, son. When are they hitting?"

"Oh-two hundred tomorrow morning. Can you get a trap ready?"

"We'll be in position by twenty-three hundred, and we'll have some fighter cover up by then. We'll finish them!" chuckled Sandberg.

"Twenty-three hundred," said Borland as he got out another slip of paper and wrote down the rendezvous time. "I'll find an excuse to slip away and meet you then…I have more info for you."

"Good show," said Sandberg. Looks like we have them!"

"Yes…we do…"

* * *

A while later, Borland sat in shock in Wildstar's office. "Commodore!" he yelled. "What is the _meaning_ of this?"

"It's simple," said Wildstar. "I don't want someone who makes a habit of rooting through strange offices for classified plans in my command in any capacity. As you can see, you're relieved as of now. I just got off the phone with Captain Ghiradelli. He'll be overjoyed to take your place in my Task Force."

"Is this because of my stupid argument with your wife?"

"That too."

"Why not?"

"No one who has a predilection to hit defenseless women can really protect the planet," said Derek.

"Also, you dropped something, sir…" said Nova.

"What did I drop?" asked Borland.

A tap came at the door. "Come in," said Derek.

Two fully armed Space Marines strode in, accompanied by two MP's. Derek stood. "Sergeant, please arrest that man right away on espionage and treason charges." Derek handed one of the MP's the papers Nova had picked up beforehand. "This is evidence he's been aiding the Josiah cult and our enemies…and evidence he was planning to attack us when we got into space…and then compromise the whole operation of our task force. Search his pockets…he might have more information."

"What?" yelled Borland. "Wildstar, this is the most stupid adolescent bullshit I've ever heard in my Goddamn…"

"Shut up!" said a Sergeant. He patted Borland down. "He's got this, sir," he said, pulling out a transmitter and the sheet of paper he had just noted the R'Khell rendezvous time on in the men's head.

"Great! I'll take that," said Derek. "Sergeant, get this spy out of my sight."

"Yessir," he said as he and his men led Borland away. "Come on now…"

Derek looked at everything. "A Rikashan transmitter…and this sheet of paper. I…well…"

"What?"

"They're gonna be waiting for us at twenty-three hundred. We'll have to be there then," said Derek. "I'll notify the other commanders by comm signals when we take off. We'll execute early, so we can trap them rather than their trapping us."

"You know what's bothering me?" asked Nova.

"What?"

"Are there any more like him in the Fleet?"

"I don't know," said Derek. "God…_I don't know_! But, I think our trick will work. Trying to trick us…"

"We'll get them," said Nova with a confident smile.

* * *

Back on the _Argo_, Venture sat back in shock as Wildstar stood in his black peacoat, telling his tale. "So _he_ was the spy?"

Derek nodded. "Good thing we found him, too. Otherwise, we would have been walking into a trap at 0200."

"We're executing earlier?" asked Sandor.

"Yes…we're hitting them at twenty-three hundred now. Homer, notify the Task Force."

"Roger."

The bridge doors opened; Paul Rosstowski showed up.

"Sir, permission to return to my post?" he asked.

"How's Aliscea?" asked Derek.

"In her trance; before she went under…well…I want you guys to know she's very apologetic about what happened earlier."

"She's forgiven."

Nova showed up a minute later, in her regular Star Force uniform. "hey guys! Are we ready?"

"Just about," said Venture. "Yamazaki, make preparations for takeoff."

"Yessir," said the middle-aged engineer.

Dash took Combat again while Rosstowski took his post. "Looks like you'll have to sit back there again, Skipper," teased Dash.

"Would you guys cut that out?" chuckled Derek. "Hardy," he said into his microphone at the Captain's console. "Get ready to execute earlier than we planned. We're on our way now."

"Why?"

"Intelligence indicates they're setting a trap. But I think _we _can get _them_ first…"

* * *

In the meantime, out near Centaurus, the R'Khell fleet was drawing closer to the planet.

On the slightly smoky but burnished bridge of the heavy R'Khell spacecraft carrier _Hehrendal_, Lecha Voton put on his Marshal's cap and stood as, from Earth, a green-haired R'Khell agent named Tevlatz (who looked rather Terran) stood in regular Terran civilian clothes, reporting in from one of the underground cities.

"What is it, Tevlatz?" asked Voton.

"Sir, I thank you for inserting me here three days ago. I have been monitoring EDF frequencies from this semi-abandoned comm station here under Vladivostok."

"And?"

"They expect to have Wildstar meet you at 0200 Hours, sir. You should have plenty of time to ready your attack, my lord. In the meantime, my first and second groups will be ready with more bombs to greet your fighters and bombers when they come through tomorrow morning. Is our purpose conquest?"

"No. Sheer punishment."

"_Punishment_?"

"Ekogaru the Great, our Lord and Master, wishes to destroy Earth as retribution for their helping Aliscea and their refusing his offer of eternal life. I will have you off-planet before it is destroyed, but our purpose is now to neutralize the defense effort so that his Lordship can wipe them out. Then, afterwards, we will turn on our disloyal brethren from Rikasha and force them to repent and obey Ekogaru."

"Of course, lord," said Tevlatz. "I await your bombers."

"Thank you," said Voton. "That is all."

"In the Name of Ekogaru, may you be blessed," said Tevlatz. Then, the screen went dark.

"How goes it?" said Sandberg as he appeared.

"Wonderfully," said Voton.

"I am so glad," said Sandberg. "Soon, we shall have our revenge."

"Yes. We shall."

* * *

**IV. ANOTHER SHOT IN THE DARK**

**The Vicinity of Alpha Centauri**

**R'Khell Carrier ****_A'Venda_**

**Sunday: April 25, 2202**

**2306 Hours**

* * *

"So, we're on patrol," said a R'Khell pilot named Venlatz. "Commander, what do we have?"

"More planes taking off in ten minutes," said his squadron leader as the wedge-like red planes flew over their mothership, the carrier _A'Venda_. "This time, they want a full patrol up. They want to make sure we trap those Terrans like rats."

"Yes…they'll die…the whole stinking lot of them. And Ekogaru will be so pleased," said Venlatz.

"What?" said his commander. "I'm getting blips."

"Did the other carriers launch yet?"

"No."

"Then what…?"

* * *

"I see you, mate," said Bryan Hartcliffe as he smiled wickedly. "Angie, it looks like they're just taking off from that lovin' carrier," he said. "Do you and Smitty wanna kick some tail?"

"Yup…but let's notify Sandor first."

"Right," said Bryan. He got his microphone. "Sandor?"

"Why are you calling in? We're supposed to maintain radio…"

"RWA-255…four carriers, one of them just launching planes. And I detect lots of indistinct signals ten megameters away at RWG-243 on the grid, sir."

"IQ-9, confirm that," sand Sandor.

The robot scanned for a minute. "We have them, Sandor."

"Great!" smiled Sandor. "Let's go! Return to base!" Then, after reporting back to the _Argo_, he smiled and said, "We're on our way back now…"

"Enemy planes approaching," said Lubyanska. "There's twelve of them!"

Sandor took a deep breath. He thought, _If we run, they might get on our tails. But, if we fight, we might be caught in something we don't want. We're a recon squadron….and…_

"All planes, repel the enemy," said Sandor. "Then, make a move to head back to base before they can get more planes up. We don't need to press this attack…we'll have backup in two minutes. _Go_!"

"Well, here we go," smiled Bryan. He turned on some very loud heavy metal and secured his faceplate.

Then, a minute later, he and his flight rushed in like demons to confront the enemy planes, followed by Sandor and the others.

* * *

Venlatz never knew what hit him as Hartcliffe's missiles blew his plane apart.

The R'Khell Flight Commander evaded the missiles and said, "Captain, I don't believe it…"

"Believe what?"

"Twelve Earth planes just appeared from nowhere. Can we expedite the…?"

He screamed a moment later as missiles from Angie's plane blew his fighter apart.

Then, on the R'Khell carrier, missiles from Bryan Hartcliffe's Tiger began to blast apart the flight deck.

"What are you doing?" snapped Sandor over the comm circuit. "We have planes coming…_we're not supposed to attack the fleet_! This is a recon mission, Mister!"

"Any chance we 'ave, sir…and we're here! We need to guard our backs, sir!"

Sandor considered again. _He has a point_, he thought. _All right…_

"All planes!" he said. "Press one attack, and then we'll leave. We need to protect our backs and keep this small group from launching any more planes!"

"Yeah," said Lubyanska. "In we go!"

The _A'Venda_ was soon a burning wreck. But, she had gotten the alarm out.

On the other three carriers, the deck crews worked like mad to ready the planes and launch. The R'Khell carriers' deck guns put up laser flak to keep away the Tigers as they blasted in to do their deadly work.

What happened next was fast and stomach-wrenching. Sandor, both Hartcliffes, Lubyanska, and the others dodged the laser beams from the R'Khell carriers and fired in missiles, all of which struck home. The second carrier was burning a moment later as the _A'Venda_ blew apart, and the other carriers were also burning torches. Only one R'Khell shot hit home; the Earth pilot known as "Smitty" got it. The other eleven planes got away after shooting up the R'Khell escort cruisers in the "Assassin" Group and thus neutralizing the first level of the R'Khell Fleet's Combat Air Patrol. It must be noted that burning carriers can't launch planes, and exploding cruisers can't fight.

"What should we do?" asked Sandor rhetorically. "I think we've guarded our backs, and they can't pounce on us now. Let's go! We can't attack that main fleet."

* * *

Sandor's voice came up on the _Argo's_ bridge a moment later. "This is Sandor," he said. "We've neutralized the R'Khell guard squadron and destroyed their carriers. I think we should back to base now."

"Go for it," said Wildstar. "Break off the attack and head home! What's their location?"

"RWG-243," said Sandor.

"Confirmed," said Nova. "Enemy fleet at RWG-243; distance seventeen megameters. I read twenty-one heavy carriers, ten light carriers, ten space battleships, twenty cruisers, and a hundred destroyers. A hundred and sixty-one ships total."

"They're not playing games," said Venture.

"No shit," said Dash next to him.

"We'll have to get those carriers first…" said Commodore Wildstar. "We'll take care of the escorts when we get in closer and those planes are unable to launch. All squadrons…concentrate on the carrier flight decks."

"Just like at Phoebus," grinned Hardy. "Okay, here we go!"

A moment later, the rest of the Black Tigers launched, followed by the Green Hornets, Jolly Rogers, and Widowmakers from the _Lexington_, the Hell's Belles from the _Bolivia_, and the newly reformed Bloody Cossacks from the _Potemkin_. The _Valkyrie_-class gunboats followed the angry EDF planes. The planes flew in formation with the heavy spaceships for a moment, and then they broke away to head off on their attack runs.

**Ten Minutes Later…**

* * *

The space near Centaurus was filled with light, flame, and confusion as Earth plane after Earth plane, gunboat after gunboat, and missile after missile methodically but quickly ruined Lecha Voton's "beautiful" carrier fleet. Most of the carriers were unable to launch now, and some of the cruisers were also disabled.

On the now-burning _Hehrendal_, the would-be High Priest and Marshal of the R'Khelleva was in a rage as report after report of carriers that would never see R'Khell space again came in to his bridge.

"Sir?" asked an officer. "Should we withdraw yet? Our Number Two Engine is burning."

"Damn you!" raged Voton. The R'Khell tyrant shot the erring officer dead with a single shot through the heart. "Anyone else?"

"I thought you said we had fighter cover up!" yelled Sandberg. "Where'd these guys come from? Borland said they wasn't gonna be here for another friggin' three hours!"

"Your _Borland_ was wrong," snapped Voton.

"Another two carriers are destroyed!" yelled a radar officer. He fell screaming as Voton shot him, too.

"They're only telling the truth," said Sandberg. "That damned chivalrous Wildstar somehow got us with our balls out in the open!"

"Sir," said another officer fearfully. "Message from the Earth Fleet Commander!"

"Put him on, damn you," said Voton as he sat down. He coughed as his ship took another hit and something exploded on his very bridge, killing yet another crewman.

Commodore Wildstar's image appeared on the R'Khell ship's screen. "I recognize you, Marshal Voton. This is Wildstar. We've met before on Rikasha. The tide has turned against you and Ekogaru today. I am giving you an opportunity to surrender and withdraw with what remains of your fleet before I give the order to turn our guns on you. My officers report that none of your carriers can launch now. You're beaten, and can't attack Earth any longer. Would you like to accept this opportunity to escape with your lives?"

"We still have heavy guns. We have battleships and cruisers. Four battleships…"

"Two," said Wildstar.

"Two?"

Sandberg pointed towards a window. Two balls of flame suddenly appeared in space.

"Two, Wildstah," said a Georgia-accented voice in the background of the Earth side of the conversation.

"Thanks, Hardy," said Wildstar with a smile. "Return to base; that goes for all of you."

Then, Derek addressed Voton again. "You have ten minutes to stand down and call back to accept my surrender terms or face the consequences. That will be all."

Wildstar then faded out.

"Don't surrender," said Sandberg. "We still have guns, don't we?"

"We need time to get them in range," said Voton. "I can arrange to have my cruisers and one of the battleships fire missiles, in the meantime…I only have three carriers…"

Then, there was another ball of flame as Denise Carroway's _Dragon_ got another carrier with her torpedoes. "Make that two," muttered an angry Voton.

"That'll be ten minutes to get everything ready, sir. Shouldn't we unleash one barrage at once to eliminate them?" asked another officer.

"Now you're being sensible. Relay the orders."

"Yessir!"

* * *

Ten minutes passed. Wildstar looked at Captain Avatar's old stopwatch, waiting until eleven minutes had passed_. I want to give them time to reflect on what they're doing before we attack_, he thought.

"Wildstar, it's past the ten minutes," said Sandor.

"Nova, have they stood down yet?"

"No," she said after taking a scan. "And they're making no move to do so, either."

"So…" said Wildstar as he shut his eyes. _I hate attacking a badly damaged fleet, but if they won't withdraw quietly…_

"Communication from the R'Khells!" said Homer.

The screen lit up with Voton's image.

"Wildstar, you may have noticed that I am not standing down. We have a mission to accomplish. And, that mission is murdering _you_."

"Voton, I have the power to wipe you out; and as I said before…your fleet is badly damaged," said Wildstar. "Why not spare the lives of your men and see reason?"

"Ekogaru does not wish for his servants to be _reasonable_," snapped Voton. "He wishes you dead, no matter what the cost!"

"Does he?"

"Yes! This is what he wants! Release first barrage!"

At that, the R'Khell fleet fired a huge wave of missiles.

"Missiles approachin' at high speed!" yelled Eager from his post.

"All ships, open main guns!" barked Wildstar.

"They're not in range yet," said Sandor.

"I know. I just want to get those missiles. Okay, Voton," said Derek. "If that's the way you _want_ it!"

"The planes are all in now," said a voice over the _Argo's_ bridge speakers from the _Potemkin_. "All of the Cossacks came back safely, sir."

"Main guns are ready to fire on your mark; I'm tracking the missiles," said Dash from Combat. Not far away, Rosstowski sat waiting with a smile on his face.

"Good," said Derek.

"Radar data being sent to gunnery," said Nova. "Missiles at five megameters…four…"

"We've got them on target," said Rosstowski.

"FIRE!" snapped Wildstar.

The _Argo's_ main guns went off, with turret number one finally working perfectly. The rest of the Task Force fired a moment later…the quick decision to defend the fleet meant that only one ship, one of the destroyers, was damaged, and the damage was minor.

"The enemy fleet's advancing," said Nova. "They're picking up speed, now at fourteen megameters' distance."

From Analysis, IQ-9 said, "My sensors indicate that they seem to be readying another missile barrage at closer range."

"We may not have enough time to stop that one," said Venture. "Wildstar, what are we doing?"

Derek sat in silent thought for a moment.

"I may have to give them a harsh response," he said.

"Second wave of missiles!" said Nova.

More missiles flew in from the enemy fleet. The guns fired again, but this time, some of them struck home. The _Potemkin_ was hit in her bridge tower, and one of the_ Lexington's _gun turrets was damaged.

"Message from Spears," said Homer. "He wants to know if he should launch again."

"Tell him negative," said Wildstar. "Tell him we're doing something about this, and very soon. Nova, what's the range of the Fleet?"

"Twelve megameters! They're still not in the range of our guns yet."

"They're playing games," said Wildstar. "And I gave him a chance to back down…"

"I hope Aliscea's okay in her trance," mused Paul.

"Yeah…How is Aliscea?" asked Homer.

Paul went silent for a moment with closed eyes. Then, he opened them. "Sleeping but fine," said Paul. "She's reached out to me just now with her mind."

"Must be nice."

"It is," said Paul.

Sandor got up from his post and he looked out at the enemy fleet on the screen. "I think we can get them if we get the _Potemkin_ and _Lexington_ in formation there, and there. The cruisers can come up, Wildstar, and we're in range."

"Not for main guns," said Nova. "They're at eleven megameters' range! They're acting as if they know our range."

"They probably do," said Venture. "Remember that spy you mentioned? That's probably how they know what our range is."

"And they're lying just behind it to fire those missiles," said Wildstar. "What a sneaky trick."

"Looks like they're preparing a third wave," said IQ-9.

"So, what were you talking about, Sandor?" asked Wildstar.

"I wasn't talking about the main guns," said Sandor with an icy smile. He laughed softly and opened an access hatch at his post, withdrawing a pair of goggles. There was silence for a moment. IQ-9 said, "Sensors say they're still getting ready, but I'm not sure why they're taking so long…"

"I don't know why they're not firing, Wildstar. Let's take advantage of it," said Sandor. "Wave motion gun? I think they'll give us enough time to get ready."

"Good," said Derek. "Homer, patch me in to all of the capital ships."

"Yessir."

A moment later, Wildstar's voice could be heard on all of the cruisers, battleships, and the single battle-carrier of Task Force 1.1. "All ships, assume formation Beta. When you do so, stop all engines, and transfer energy to wave motion guns! I've been awake long enough tonight…let's get this game out of extra innings now! Wildstar out."

The Earth ships began to move. The _Argo_ adjusted her course slightly, and then Yamazaki flicked a switch.

The bridge went very dim. Dash worked a lever, and a blued metal firing grip came up into his hand. Then, a moment later, a deadly, slow pulsing noise began to resound through the _Argo._

"Energy level at thirty percent," said Yamazaki with a grim smile.

* * *

"We will be ready to launch a final barrage in three minutes!" said a voice on the _Hehrendal._

"They will be in firing range a minute after that," said another voice. "We know their range is ten megameters in their measure, sir, that is twenty _gerad_ in ours. Thanks forever to that Borland for the intelligence!"

"Seek permission to ready D'IATS cannon after first barrage," said another officer.

"Good, _good_," said Voton. "We've had some good shooting so far this night from our missile crews." He smiled and drank some wine from a goblet, and teased a barely dressed dancing girl he had called up from the ship's harem chambers. "That is why I don't mind that we begin the victory celebration now!"

Another dancing girl danced around barefoot, ringing small finger gongs as she began to take all of her clothes off right on the bridge with no shame whatsoever. A third dancing girl showed up, playing a R'Khell instrument like a mandolin as she sang hymns to Ekogaru. An officer pulled out a water pipe and began smoking it. Another one began drinking some wine laced with a weird hallucinogen that would have been illegal on Earth. There was a loss of decorum as some of the crew laughed, clapped, cursed and sang in their language while pungent smoke blew about the bridge, making everything seem shadowy, indistinct, and mysterious. It turned off Sandberg a bit. The former government official thought, _Why'd I ally with these freaks? Why'd I defect? I thought Ekogaru was the Lord, and that he didn't like aliens. Yvona said so when she was alive. But now…I see he uses very freaky aliens. What sort of being is this Ekogaru?_

"Sir, you should see this," said a science officer in the midst of the revelry. Despite the loss of the carriers, Voton still thought they could easily defeat the much smaller Earth fleet.

"See what?" said Voton. "All right. I'll see you later, Vicra."

"_Awww,_" said the harem wench in a sad voice. "Do I _have_ to get dressed now? That was fun!" She asked this since she was the one who had stripped.

Voton nodded. Then, he said, "So? Science Officer? What do you see? Why do you interrupt my pleasures with this?"

"I'm reading a tachyon buildup, sir."

"Tachyons?" said Sandberg. Then, he looked at Voton. "For Heaven's sake, warp us _out of here_!"

"What?" hissed Voton.

"Wave motion guns!" said Sandberg. "They're preparing our funeral, you fool!"

* * *

"Target scope, OPEN!" snapped Dash on the _Argo_. "Right on target, Wildstar," he said.

"Energy level, ninety percent," said Yamazaki. "One minute to firing."

"The Fleet reports the same thing," said Homer.

"Enemy fleet _still_ holding formation," said Nova as she gazed at the radar through her goggles. "What is _with _those guys?"

"Maybe they forgot their smart pills?" said Eager.

"Maybe they're _drunk_," joked Rosstowski, not knowing how close he was to the truth with some of those evil men.

"This could be a trick," said Venture.

"It might…be…" said Sandor.

"Energy level one hundred percent!" said Yamazaki.

"Thirty seconds to firing," said Wildstar. "All ships, release safety locks!"

On the other ships of the Task Force, the firing pistons slid back in all of the capital ships.

* * *

"Only four ships got your order to warp!" said F'Randhis, another R'Khell officer.

"Let the rest of them die," said Voton.

"That's cold-blooded," muttered Sandberg.

"WHO RUNS THIS FLEET!" yelled Voton. "You, or I?"

"I…I..I.."

"Ready to warp in ten seconds…" said Voton's helmsman.

* * *

"10…9…8…" counted Dash. Everything was ready.

Out in space, R'Khell ships began to break formation and began to try to make a futile effort to run on sub-light power as the flagship and four other ships began to warp out as the helmsmen on those vessels pulled back their warp switches.

"Four…three. Two…"

At that, the _Hehrendal_ vanished into subspace, followed by two other ships.

"Zero!" said Dash.

"FIRE!" called out Commodore Wildstar.

The _Argo_ fired, followed by the rest of the Earth Task Force.

Roaring topaz-colored death whizzed out into space. It was now midnight on Monday, April 26, 2202. Exactly 0000 Hours.

At 0001 there was no more R'Khell carrier fleet left; only explosions and expanding gas.

"We did it!" yelled Dash.

"Yeah!" yelled Rosstowski.

Homer threw off his headset and laughed.

Nova got up and threw herself into Derek's arms with a loud laugh.

Venture banged his board and yelled, "Yeah! Yeah! YEAHH! We did it!"

"Our first victory," said Derek as he caught his breath…Nova was kissing him like New Years' Eve.

Then, a moment later, Homer laughed, "Hey! Communication from General Stone! He sounds mad!"

"Put him on," laughed Derek. Nova stopped kissing Derek, but she just stood beside him, mussing up his hair.

Stone's image came up at Homer's board a moment later. "Wildstar! What's the meaning of this? You left Triton early! Where are you? You're supposed to be getting ready for battle! I'll make sure you're relieved for this…are you having some drunken party up there?"

"We're about to have a party," said Derek. "I'm not going to have it at my post on the bridge, _sir_."

"Why?" yelled Stone as Doctor Sane ran in accompanied by IQ-9 and a case of sake.

"No, hold that, Doc!" barked Derek. "Nova, you're relieved for now. Eager, take over her post. Take the Doctor and the sake down below to the port side observation deck…you guys get a party ready."

"Okay. How about the holography room?" asked Nova. "We can put tables in there, and there's a new scenic cassette I made up the other day I've been dying to try out for the crew."

"Good idea. You get some Living Group enlisted people who aren't on duty, and get them to help you. Then wait for us. Standing orders apply. Be sure no one has more than one glass tonight and that no one going on duty has any."

"Yessir. When are you joining us?"

"We'll be below after the change of watch after we assume a parking orbit around Centaurus."

"Aye, aye sir," said Nova. She saluted and left with Doctor Sane.

"Why are you holding a party now?" said Stone slowly. "Wildstar, this is idiotic."

"Send him the feed, Homer," grinned Derek.

"What feed?" said Stone as he turned towards a puzzled Commander Singleton. "Why are they celebrating when they should be fighting?"

"I think we're done," said Commodore Wildstar with a smile. "We won. The whole fleet's destroyed except for their flagship and a few cruisers that escaped with damage."

"What did you do…going out so early?" mumbled Stone.

"Achieved complete surprise. No more carriers, except for the flagship, which warped out with a burning flight deck," said Derek.

"Good job," said Singleton at once. "Brilliant strategy! How did you do it?"

"A bit of intelligence we gained…you can interrogate a Captain Borland about it in the morning. He's a spy we captured. Luckily, we learned the attack plan…from him."

"Very well, Wildstar," said Singleton. "Uh…your next job is that meeting that Desslok's set up, tomorrow, near Procyon. Until then…send some Marines down to Centaurus to establish a new beachhead…we're establishing a base there. Good work. Thank you for keeping Earth safe from R'Khell planes."

"You're welcome, sir," said Derek.

"And…Wildstar," said Singleton.

"Yessir?"

"Don't let your crew drink too much," said the Commander. "Over and out…and congratulations on our first victory!"

"You're welcome, sir," said Derek. At that, he saluted.

* * *

Later on, Derek joined the others in the holography room. Nova had created a rather nice background…it looked like part of their backyard in the evening (which she evidently missed) decorated with Japanese lanterns here and there and festooned with tables with sake, food, and various games that the off-duty crew was enjoying. The _Argo_ was in orbit, and it was about 0200.

"Hey!" yelled Venture from a table near a hologram that simulated the wall around part of the Wildstars' backyard. "Wanna play some _go_?"

"I'm not sure," said Derek, who had doffed his peacoat. "You always beat me."

"Maybe you'd like your single drink first, sir?" asked Nova. She came up before him with a bottle and a glass, smiling.

**_Artwork: "Nova: Holography Room" - Based upon art of Yuki Yayoi from Queen Millennia -Computer-Generated by Frederick P. Kopetz_**

"You've changed your clothes?" said Derek smiling at the casual outfit Nova had changed into. He looked at her face and felt some pity and concern; traces of dark circles were showing under her eyes. She looked pleasant, but looked as if she was badly in need of some rest. The Commodore felt like telling her "_Go to bed and let the enlisted people handle this_" but he was unsure she'd listen or not.

"I'm not on duty now," said Nova with a smile as she set the glass and bottle on a nearby table. She sat down with him at a table, brushing some crumbs off the seat so her jeans wouldn't get dirty. "Do you guys want to play some _go?_ I can watch."

Mark smiled, eager for a chance to beat Wildstar. Derek, however, shook his head.

"I'll pass until we get home. Nova, did you have your drink yet?"

She shook her head.

"Wildstar," said Hardy as he came up. "I've got Hartcliffe out on patrol with third squadron. No contacts. Everything's clear."

"Good. As for that drink, Nova," said Derek.

"Yes?"

"Please pour one for _both_ of us."

"Right away," said Nova as she poured some sake. She and Derek clinked plastic cups and drank. The sake was hot going down Derek's throat, but right now, he felt he could use it.

"We have so much else to do," he said. "Homer, " he called, looking at his comm officer who sat at a nearby table. "Did the Gamilons call yet?"

"No, sir."

"I wish we would hear from Desslok," said Wildstar. "We need to know what he's up to out there…and we're supposed to meet him soon."

"Yeah, I wish he'd call, too," said Nova.

"This waiting might be the worst part," said Venture.

"You're telling me," said Derek. "Be sure all of you guys get some sleep tonight."

"After a day like today," said Nova. "I'm going to sleep like a rock."

* * *

**_To Be Continued with Act Three: "Second Movement: Addagio"_**


	3. Chapter 3

**ALTERNATE TALES OF THE STAR FORCE**

**STAR BLAZERS****---****RAGNAROK**

**Being the eleventh and final part of THE RIKASHA INCIDENT--- BY: Frederick P. Kopetz**

* * *

**ACT THREE: SECOND MOVEMENT--- ADDAGIO**

* * *

**I. EKOGARU'S NIGHT OF RECKONING**

**Milky Way Galaxy: The Vonchard Gap**

**The Grand Technomugar Fortress**

**Central Meeting Chamber**

**Monday: April 26, 2202**

**0310 Hours: Earthtime.**

* * *

The Grand Technomugar Fortress had just completed another space warp.

The monstrous construction was now only 15,000 lightyears away from Earth. In the huge Fortress, workers and soldiers worked on upgrading the massive ship's systems as per the Dark Lord's command.

Organic slaves under the lashes of their cruel Technomugar overseers performed some of the work, laboring as they moved heavy objects into place. The worst work was always assigned to these slaves. It mattered little to the Dark Lord if any of these slaves died on duty or not.

As for Ekogaru, the ancient cyborg cackled and wheezed as he staggered into his Central Meeting Chamber, sitting down upon his throne in the center of a semicircle of his generals and advisors. "All right," he hissed. "I was busy in my meditations after having fought Aliscea and the accursed Earth woman who was Yvona's niece. It is too bad that we cannot capture them and break them to do My bidding…they would make great slaves. But, I have already decided that the Terran and Pellian races have forfeited their existences; and they shall begin to die soon. Now, what is it you gentlemen need? I am a _busy_ man."

General Hollander spoke first.

"My Lord," he said. "Ergitz, myself, Pavlen, Migdal, Bralak, Marda and Tra'Chariv have been your advisors, generals, and servants for three thousand years. We have followed you faithfully, Lord, through victory, defeat, triumph, and tragedy. We have seen your great effort grow from a small scientific experiment on Rikasha to one of the greatest Empires known to humanity anywhere. We believe that your efforts in cyborgization and the improvement of the human race are unparalleled, and are achievements that will last forever. We should have died three millenia ago, yet we still live, and we still reign."

"You are the oldest of us, My Lord," said Ergitz in a soft voice. "As your advisors, as well as your friends, we could not help noticing that this war with Earth and Pellias has recently…drained you a great deal. We have met, and we have considered your leadership as of late, Sire. Unfortunately, we have come to a conclusion that you may not like, so please bear with us."

"You have been _conspiring_ against me?" hissed Ekogaru. "You, my friends…acting against my orders to…?"

"We are still your friends," said Bralak.

"Lordship, this is an example of what we see in your leadership that concerns us," said Tra'Chariv, who was Ekogaru's Grand Physician. "We see that you are ill. Sick, tired, and irrationally paranoid, that is. You see ghosts around every corner, and you even think your friends conspire against you. Earth is a great source of potential slaves and resources for us, for example. It would make a great beachhead for our Empire here in the Milky Way as we re-establish ourselves. Instead, you mean to destroy it. That is not like you, Lord. You used to think rationally. But now?"

"What is it that you are saying?" demanded Ekogaru. "WHAT?"

Ergitz stood and spoke. "We have also taken much damage, my Lord. The Phased Density Cannon is almost repaired, but we are unsure of its ability to operate. From an engineering standpoint, your recent battles with the Rikashans and with Aliscea…and, yes, even with the Terran woman have damaged both you and the Grand Fortress. Both require time to heal. I am proposing two changes in course for now. Will you hear me out?"

"Speak," spat Ekogaru, whose eyes were going red.

"Lord, we are only concerned for you and the Empire," said Hollander in a quiet voice. "We mean no harm to you. And this is merely what I advised you before, in a reasonable fashion. Do we not live forever? Can we not wait for a time? Let us hold back, use our Third and Ninth Fleets, and let us use the Dark Nebulans to aid us and destroy the _Argo _and Aliscea before we head onwards to Earth. It is more necessary than ever due to our cause's most recent setback."

"Setback?" hissed Ekogaru.

Marda of Rikasha stood. "Lordship, I have left Voton's presence for now. It is a good thing, as I have just heard from him. His First Carrier Special Task Force was completely defeated and virtually destroyed by Wildstar at Alpha Centauri earlier this evening. I do not know how the Terranische do it, but we have failed in our first glorious thrust of the _ji'had,_ the action that shows the true glory of the Rikashan race and those who are loyal to you."

"What has happened?" hissed Ekogaru.

"Lord, that first thrust has been beaten back by the Earth Forces with no major losses on their part…this is unheard of in the history of the R'Khell priesthood! And Aliscea did not aid them, either. She is in a healing trance at the moment and cannot assist them. The Earthlings won this victory themselves, in hard-won battle, and they have taken Centaurus and are occupying it even now. We are actually _losing ground_ to this young, aggressive race! They are beginning to spit upon us as they spat upon Gamilon and as they spat upon the Cometines! Even I must reluctantly respect them for that. They will not be as easy to defeat as you think, my Lord!"

"We believe we need more time to win," said Migdal. "I will lead the Third and Ninth Fleets!"

"I will not allow it," said Ekogaru. "The thrust must go on! We are only three days away from our goal!"

Hollander stood as the others sat down. "Lord, we have come to the following consensus about you, and about your…"

Then, klaxons began to go off.

"What?" said Ekogaru. "An attack? NOW?"

"Lordship," said an anonymous voice over the speakers. "A small enemy force has warped in past our inner perimeter of gas clouds and magnetic fields. They are heading towards the equator of the Fortress at full attack speed!"

"Prepare our guns, identify the enemy," said Ekogaru. "Who are they?"

"There are fifteen ships, suicidally brave…one battleship, two carriers, ten destroyers, three missile cruisers. The enemy is identified as Gamilon, my Lord. They are coming in at very high speed…they…ARRRGGHH!"

There was a dull explosion, and the Technomugar Fortress actually shook.

"What is going on?" demanded Ekogaru.

"This is Observation Post Two Hundred twelve at the equator," said a voice. "I have a visual of the enemy fleet. It is led by a carrier, and they have launched dive bombers."

The visual came up; it was a green Gamilon battle-carrier in the midst of launching high-speed dive-bombers.

"Why aren't you stopping them?" demanded Ekogaru.

"Because, Lord, our local anti-small craft batteries have been damaged and we can't track these things with the heavy equatorial guns. Seek permission to launch interceptors."

"Granted," said Ekogaru.

"Sire," said Hollander. "The Gamilon Commander wishes to speak with you on visual."

"Put him on."

A moment later, an image of a brown-haired Gamilon with a dueling scar came on the screen. He looked very serious. "I am Major-General Gustaf of the 30th Battle Fleet. Your Fortress has just pierced territorial space claimed by the Gamilon-Garuman Empire. You are endangering our security and the security of our allies by this aggressive act. In the name of Leader Desslok, I demand that you turn back now, or suffer a greater destruction."

"You cannot hurt us," hissed Ekogaru.

"On the contrary," said Gustaf. "We _have_ hurt you! We will soon attack your major weapons rangefinder and targeting arrays, neutralizing your heavy weapons. What do you say to that?"

Ekogaru slathered in rage. "Cut him off," he hissed.

Migdal nodded, changing the view to the outside of the Grand Fortress, showing another explosion that illuminated Migdal's light-skinned face below his ceremonial headdress. "Now, they've taken out another gunnery post, Lord!"

"We can't take much more of this, sire," said Ergitz to Migdal's right.

"Can't we launch our carriers?" asked Hollander.

"It would take too much time now," said Migdal. We must fight them with what we have, Lord!"

"All of you are like weak-willed teenage girls," hissed Ekogaru. "Fight, damn you!"

"Can we?" said Marda.

"What? Are you a _defeatist_?" roared Ekogaru.

Hollander said, "Lord, there is a danger. With those batteries down, their planes can hurt us. And our energy absorption fields are still under repair. I recommend a short warp."

"What?" said Ekogaru.

"A short warp of a hundred lightyears deeper into their territory, towards Earth," said Hollander. "That would give us time to repair for the next battle. They will be tracking us like hounds from here out."

"All right," said Ekogaru. "Put up repelling fire from our heavy batteries, and warp us a hundred lightyears away!"

On his carrier, the _Azonite_, Gustaf said through gritted teeth, "I would have expected more resistance! Prepare our main guns…let's target those targeting arrays. They're two hundred and fifty _gerad_ upwards from our plane of attack. It won't take long for us to get into range…"

"General!" said a commander on one of the destroyers. "I am reading an energy buildup…"

"All planes, _return to base_!" said Gustaf with an angry, frustrated look on his face. "Heavy guns, ready to fire…our first target will be…"

At that, the Fortress suddenly went many different colors, and it faded away.

"What?" said Gustaf.

"Sir," said his first officer, a man named Yarvis. "I think we've forced them to run."

"I'm not so sure. Scientific unit, track that warp signature," said Gustaf. "We need to find them and report back to Leader Desslok! Then we can finish what I started! I'd rather see us destroy them then see the Earthlings do it! Then, _we_ shall have the glory of the kill!"

"Agreed." said Yarvis.

* * *

"You see," said Hollander as the Fortress warped back into normal space a hundred lightyears away from the battle. "These races have us on the run! That has never before happened."

"There is a large nebula ahead," said a voice from a control room. "I recommend that we head there. Then, we will be hidden from scanners while we repair our defensive systems!"

Ekogaru nodded. "Do it. Although it is not what I would wish! I want those infidels DEAD!"

"You see, my Lord," said Tra'Chariv. "You cannot anticipate these setbacks as you once did. Your psionic senses are fading. Your mind is not as sharp as it was. Your health is fading, Lord! I even see signs of age and senescence in your organic components. You are old, my Lord. Perhaps you have lived too long."

"What does that mean?" hissed Ekogaru. "Would you kill me? If that is the case…then…"

"No," said Hollander. "We will never abandon you. You are our creator, our God, our master. But, perhaps for your good, and the good of the Empire, the time has come for us to change how you exert your leadership over us."

"What?" hissed Ekogaru.

"Your health is not what it was, Lord," said Migdal. "Because of your frequent use of your psionic powers, you have aged prematurely. You are becoming irrational and cannot change your mind rapidly enough to cope with circumstances that are going against us. You are, perhaps, at the very edge of madness, Lord. We propose, therefore, that as of tonight, you continue to _reign_, but cease to _rule…_at least on a day-to-day basis. We can guard your interests best, my Lord. Step down from actively running this war, and please let us act in your stead as your regents, at least until you are well again."

"What?" said Ekogaru; his jaw was working as he clenched his fists.

"We are agreed on this, all of us," said Hollander. "Let us take this war at a slower pace; find a place of safety to make repairs, perhaps leave this galactic system and leave the invasions of Earth and Gamilon to our fleets over months, perhaps years. We have time, Lord. We are in no rush. And affairs are safe in the Blackeye Galaxy. No one will dare rebel against our rulership there. Once professional military men occupy the planets we wish in this Local Group, if you are well enough after receiving a new form, then you can rule again. But this is what we recommend, Lord. It is for your welfare, and the welfare of your people. Please see reason, step down and husband your strength in your meditations, my Lord. Leave the war to us, at least for a time."

Ekogaru stood. "Give me a day to consider your words. They are close to treason! I need to see if I can accept this or not."

"Then you will consider it?" said Marda.

"Perhaps I will," said Ekogaru as he walked away, leaning on his staff. "Perhaps I will not. Remember, I am not bereft of all power yet! I will not enter a dotage…a retirement…without good reason! I will leave you now. You will hear my decision tomorrow morning, after our next warp to Earth."

"Next warp?" said Hollander.

Ekogaru nodded. "The warps continue as long as I am our active ruler. Understood?"

"Yes, Lord," said Hollander as Ekogaru disappeared.

"What do you think?" said Tra'Chariv. "I think he's mad."

"So do I," said Hollander. "And I have noted he cannot monitor our words as he once did…and he cannot monitor our thoughts as well, either. His powers have faded. He is no longer what he was."

"So? What do we do?" said Marda.

"Force him to step down tomorrow," said Hollander.

"And if he does not?" whispered Marda seductively.

"Then we kill him and continue to rule…in his name, of course," said Hollander. "We can tell his worshippers that he was martyred in battle."

"Yes," said Migdal. "We are agreed on this."

* * *

**II. DESSLOK'S PLAN**

**The Gamilon Fleet **

**Near the Edge of the Procyon Star System**

**Imperial Flagship _Gamilstadt_**

**Monday: April 26, 2202**

**1100 Hours: Earthtime.**

* * *

Leader Desslok spoke with General Talan and Empress Astrena on the bridge of the _Gamilstadt _when they got word from Gustaf about the battle of the Vonchard Gap and the fact that they had spotted the Fortress.

"You didn't tell him to pursue the attack again even though you know that Ekogaru is now in the Vonchard Nebula?" asked Talan.

"We would need to have the whole Fleet there to assault him," said Desslok. "Surely you should see that, Talan."

"What do you mean to do?" asked Talan. ''We cannot let things be. Ekogaru must be crushed, and soon."

"My first child lies between life and death now, trying to heal herself," said Astrena. She grasped her pregnant belly. "And my second child will soon cry his way into the universe. Pellian gestation periods are shorter than yours or those of the Terrans."

"We have decided that we should draw Ekogaru into a trap," said Desslok as he held hands with Astrena for a moment. "But, first our back must be clear of enemies. That is why I have decided to meet with Wildstar again."

"You are apportioning the Cometine base worlds, sir?" asked Talan. "I do not know if that is wise. I do not fully trust these Terrans. You recall that they wiped out millions of our people on Gamilon."

Desslok nodded. "True. But they were fighting for their lives, just as we were fighting for our own lives. Enough of this debate for now, I have made my decision already. Come over to the screen. This is the plan I am presenting to Wildstar and the Earth Government. I recently contacted their Defense Command regarding the need to attack those Cometine positions in their backyard, and their Commander approved, fortunately. At least some Terrans can see reason and look past their prejudices. We must do the same, Talan."

"Of course, sir," said Talan, who bowed his head, quite humiliated at his Leader's rather calm, logical outburst.

They walked over to a briefing screen on the bridge. Talan brought up a graphic. "This is the space we are now in, Leader Desslok. According to the intelligence that Earth has shared with us, we have confirmed that the greater concentration of Cometine ships is here, at Procyon VI, under the command of a General Devat."

"Another one of the fools that surrounded Zordar," mused Desslok. "I believe you recall him, Talan."

"I do, sir. Since the troop concentration at Procyon VI is the greater of the two, I advise that we capture Procyon and claim the system for ourselves as a listening post."

"Sound logic," said Desslok. "In turn, the Terrans can attack the smaller Cometine base at Sirius and occupy it as a forward listening post. The Sirius-Procyon area, once we win the war with the Technomugar, can also be a region of joint operations for our vessels and the Terrans' ships. An area of intersect, as it were, between the Earth Federation and our Empire."

"I pray that Aliscea lives," said Astrena.

"And if she doesn't?" said Desslok.

"She has made alternate plans, which I am not at liberty to share with you, Desslok," said Astrena respectfully. "They involve secret rites of our people. With no disrespect, my Lord, we do not _usually_ discuss them with outsiders. But, bear in mind she _has_ chosen a possible successor."

"It would be interesting to see whom it might be," said Desslok. "Starsha, perhaps?" he purred.

"I cannot say now," said Astrena.

"Sir," said an officer. "The majority of the Earth Fleet has just arrived!"

The image came up on the screen. "Hmmm," said Desslok. "One of their space battleships, two of their cruisers, and three destroyers are missing. Did they suffer losses at Centaurus as the cost of their victory?"

"No," said Astrena. "Wildstar left the _Potemkin_, _Danube_, and their destroyers behind along with a Marine Group from the _Potemkin_ to guard Centaurus."

"I see," said Desslok. "Talan, contact the _Argo_. We need to make arrangements…"

* * *

In the Captain's Quarters, Nova and Derek had just finished a light lunch.

"I don't feel like myself," said Nova.

"What do you mean?"

"I'm so tired…and…well…I put a knife in someone yesterday. I never knew I was capable of that," she said sadly.

"Nova, the man you put a knife into was our worst enemy! You did a very brave thing, attacking him like that."

"Oh?" she said, picking at her food. "Putting a knife in someone's guts should make me feel _good_?" She slammed down her fork and began to cry.

"Nova, I love your compassion…but sometimes, compassion can only go so far. You know Ekogaru is dangerous…don't you?"

Nova nodded slowly. "I do. I just…I don't know. I feel things I've never felt before. I can sense the Dark Lord…sort of like Aliscea can. I think I'm sharing in her power. I feel his hate…his rage…his pain. It feels like there's a deep stab wound in my stomach. How can Aliscea put up with sensing him all the time like that? Now I'm starting to understand why she's a bit crazy sometimes."

"Nova, once this war is over…"

"Derek, once this war is over, please promise me you'll let me go back to just being me; a Living Group Officer, nurse, and your wife with my little garden. And stop telling me how great I am. Right now, I don't feel great."

Derek did all he could under the circumstances. He held his wife.

A few minutes later, after they arrived back on the bridge, Homer perked up at his post.

"Message from Desslok!" cried Homer.

"Put him up on the main screen," said Wildstar.

Desslok's image came up a few moments later. "Wildstar, I have heard of your victory at Centaurus from your Defense Command. I congratulate you on your victory there."

"Thank you, Desslok. But we still have work to do. What do you have in mind for our plans to assault those Cometine bases?"

"This is what I propose, Wildstar. I propose that your forces should attack the smaller base at Sirius V and occupy it. In turn, I will attack the larger Cometine citadel at Procyon VI, since I have a greater number of ships. We will occupy Procyon VI as an advance monitoring station, which will be to the advantage of both of our races."

"It sounds like a good idea to me," replied Derek. "But, I'm not sure how my Defense Command will take having a Gamilon base only eleven lightyears away from Earth."

"Would they rather have a Cometine base there?" asked Desslok.

"Yes…you have a point," said Derek. "There are just some on Earth…"

"I am aware of those on your world who do not look at things in the same manner that you do. They consider us in a truce rather than in an alliance. Trust me; in time, they shall see that the alliance I made with you at Iscandar is real. And they will understand my intentions when I aid you against Ekogaru."

"You're not heading back to Gamilon yet?"

"Wildstar, the war is about to reach its final stage. A true ally does not pull out of the conflict when it is about to end. My forces have recently fought the Dark Lord. He is now fourteen thousand, nine hundred lightyears away from your world and is bearing down upon it. I will send you the coordinates, and our best guess as to when he will arrive in your star system."

"When do you think that will be?"

"Three days from now," said Desslok. The _Argo's_ bridge crew gasped at that. "And we believe he has advance fleets ahead of the Fortress far stronger than the fleet you just defeated at Centaurus. After this battle, we will remain in touch; I will send you the intelligence you need as I gather our forces to aid you in assaulting the Fortress. Best wishes, Wildstar."

Desslok saluted and the screen went dark. A moment later, Homer said, "The Gamilons are uploading the data now."

"Hmmm," said Sandor as the upload came through and the data was translated. He put it up on an auxiliary screen near the Captain's post a few minutes later. "This is where he is now, Wildstar…and this is where they expect the Fortress to be tomorrow, if he stays on course…and continues to warp 5000 lightyears per day."

"The Cygnus Gap," said Derek. "We passed that area on our way back from Rikasha but never really explored it. If Aliscea is healed, that might be a good place to assault the Fortress."

"Yes," mused Nova. "It's nine thousand, nine hundred lightyears away from Earth. If we can be there around midnight tomorrow…"

"That will remain to be seen," said Derek. "Venture, prepare a course for Sirius V. It looks like our next battle is going to be there."

"Yessir. We'll be ready to warp in fifteen minutes."

"I'll send the coordinates to the rest of the Fleet," said Homer.

"Good," said Wildstar. "All hands…take your stations."

* * *

**III. DEALING WITH OLD 'FRIENDS'**

**Earth Task Force 1.1 **

**Near the Edge of the Sirius Star System**

**Space Battleship _Argo_**

**Monday: April 26, 2202**

**1310 Hours: Earthtime.**

* * *

Wildstar had the crew assembled in the _Argo's_ Central Briefing Room.

Two recon squadrons had been sent out not long ago to probe the area around Sirius V. One squadron, led by a pilot known as Goldstein, had taken off from the _Lexington_.

The other squadron was a variation of the one that had left the _Argo_ yesterday to probe the R'Khell fleet. The only difference in personnel was that Nova and IQ-9 had replaced one of the pilots after she had suggested that they should probe the planet's environment and atmospheric conditions to see what sort of protection the invading Marines would need.

Derek sensed the real reason; she wanted to keep busy, so she wouldn't have to think about feeling the Dark Lord's looming presence through her mysterious bond with Aliscea.

The Star Force was discussing the results of this probe at length.

"You're telling us _what_?" said Wildstar. "You met no resistance?"

Sandor nodded. "They painted us with radar, but that was it. No planes, no signs of missile batteries, nothing."

"And I didn't pick up much in the way of life signs there, either," said Nova. "The base looks semi-abandoned."

"Why would the Cometines have a skeleton crew at a major base?" said Derek as they studied images of the base on the large deck screen.

"Maybe they transferred everyone to Procyon, and maybe they don't think anyone is going to hit this base?" said Venture.

"That might explain why I picked up heavy traces of radiation in space around the base," said Sandor. "I think that perhaps a major fleet just left here…and that Desslok might be facing a worse threat than he anticipates."

"What's the environment like, Nova?"

"Earth-like, but very cold…near zero degrees Centigrade. There is a breathable atmosphere down there, and traces of vegetation, mostly stands of coniferous trees like Douglas fir."

"So the landing parties will just need cold-weather gear?"

Nova nodded. "Sensors even picked up some liquid water down there in small streams near the base. The base is on the planet's nightside right now, so the landing parties will probably need some night-vision equipment, too."

"Done," said Wildstar. He turned to Hardy. "Hardy, you'll lead the attack at fourteen hundred hours. Squadrons from the other ships will back you up in case you encounter resistance."

"Understood," said Hardy.

"Hemsford," he said to his Marine Group Leader. "You'll stand ready with your Marines. You'll also be in command…you'll be working with a Lieutenant DeVito from the _Lexington_ who'll be leading in a much larger force. Your mission is to eliminate resistance and establish a beachhead as soon as possible for DeVito's men. If we successfully occupy the base area, you might stay behind as part of a long-term occupation force."

"Of course," said Hemsford. "It'll be kinda nice to be back on the ground again, but we'll miss the _Argo_. You guys were great to work with."

"Thanks," said Wildstar.

* * *

It was fourteen hundred hours.

The Black Tigers had just left the _Argo_, followed by the planes from the _Lexington_ and the _Bolivia_. Wildstar, Spears, and Peronada were forming a well-oiled machine, backed up by their escorts.

"What resistance do we have?" asked Lubyanska, who was leading the second squadron of Tigers.

"Not much so far," said Hardy. "Hold that! We're getting painted by enemy radar. Everybody, keep your heads up."

"Roger that," said Commander Mohammed Alzeer from the _Lexington_. The young Saudi was the squadron leader of the Widowmakers. The two other Groups from his ship, namely the Green Hornets and the Jolly Rodgers accompanied his Group and the Black Tigers in. The Hell's Belles from the _Bolivia _had remained behind to provide fighter cover for the rest of the Task Force. "I think we're gonna really kick their butts, Hardy," added Alzeer.

"I think so, too," said Hardy.

"I'm picking up a missile launch at FT-105," said Lt. Commander Sarah Jane Wright, the newly appointed Group Leader of the Hell's Belles, and the EDF's very first female Flight Group Leader. "Nice big spread. We woke up _somebody_ down there!"

"Okay, everyone," said Hardy. "Get those missiles with your wing guns!"

All of the missiles but one were shot down; it hit a Tiger that was in the Jolly Rogers. The Earth plane went down screaming into the cold surface, blowing up on impact.

A moment later, Hardy and his wingmen fired missiles of their own at FT-105, followed by a spread launched by the Hell's Belles. After the first spread was fired, a second spread was fired straight at another missile battery they had spotted.

_I miss Conroy right about now,_ thought Hardy as he watched the Tigers firing missiles. _Hope we can get those Cometine SOB's to keep their heads down…._

A moment later, the enemy commander, a Cometine named Colonel Basra, looked at the radar spread in his bunker. "They're wrecking our missile batteries, the Earthling scum. Launch fighters! Shoot them all out of the sky!"

"Yessir!" said the Cometine interceptor leader. "Launching High speed interceptors now!"

The Cometine planes soon roared up from a runway in the night.

And soon, the Earth planes were involved in a nasty dogfight.

"There must be over _ninety _of these guys!" said Alzeer. "May Allah _damn_ them!"

"I've got two of 'em on top of me," said Angie Hartcliffe. She had to do quite a lot of hard flying to escape the trap that the Cometine planes were trying to box her into. But, finally, she jigged upwards, dodged the first plane, got it, and then right as Bryan was showing up to help, she dived downwards and blasted apart her other tormentor.

"_That_ felt good!" she cried over the comm circuit.

"Ah, yer' a party-pooper, Angie," teased Bryan.

"So? Another two little ships to paint on my plane. Too bad, hon. You'll get some."

"I got four already, luv."

"Oh, well," she said. "Nobody's perfect."

They both laughed before they parted to take care of some other planes.

* * *

Colonel Basra looked on in panic in his bunker as plane after plane took out his defenses.

_I can't believe this!_ he thought. _Why did General Devat order me to withdraw most of our forces from this base to Procyon? Who is the new superior who just showed up there? Who is giving these mad orders? Why do they want the Gamilons trapped but don't care about the Earthling devils?_

Then, a voice came up on the comm circuit. It was female, but heavily accented. "Colonel Basra. My spies tell me it is going badly at Sirius? Why are we losink?"

"No…no," he said. "Not _you! _You're…you're…dead!"

She laughed. "I am not dead. I had my private means of escaping Father's fate. Someday, we will have our reckoning upon the Earthlings, but now, I want to give it to Desslok and tie down Earth there. You are _expendable_, as was your old base."

"Where did you come from?"

"That does not matter. I order you to commit suicide for your failures and let the Earthlings _have_ the base!"

"Why?"

"Because _I_ am the rightful heir of House Gatlantis, that is why! I am now your ruler. Gernitz shall soon bow the knee to _me._ And you will do as I say. Understood? I have years to plot our vengeance upon Earth and upon Gamilon. It does not all have to be done in one day. We have time."

"Yes, Princess," he said slowly. He could not bring himself to say her name out loud. But, he knew that she had survived.

Basra slowly drew his blaster, and aimed it at his own neck…

* * *

The battle took about an hour at Sirius. A Cometine destroyer took off from the base, but it ran and warped away before the _Argo_ or _Bolivia_ could target her.

Once the missile batteries and enemy planes were shot down, the Earth planes returned to their ships, with only six losses.

With the enemy air cover down, Commodore Wildstar gave the "go" signal for the Marines to land. Hemsford and the others boarded their landing craft and took off, heading down towards the base.

Surprisingly, they didn't face much resistance. The battles there were quick, and there were only a few tanks, which were taken out by multi-hit missile batteries that the Marines from the _Lexington_ had brought. There were surprisingly few casualties, and they were quickly taken to the Sickbays on the _Argo_ and the _Lexington_. On the _Argo_, Nova, Doctor Sane and the rest of the Medical Staff had a moderate amount of work in Sickbay, having only eight patients to deal with. Only one died. The other wounded would be taken back to Earth aboard a destroyer once they were stabilized.

Finally, as dawn began to fill the sky on Sirius, one of the Marines put the Earth Federation flag up on a hill near the empty Cometine Base. Sirius V now belonged to Earth.

* * *

**IV. GAMILON'S PROBLEM**

**The Gamilon Fleet**

**Approaching Procyon VI**

**Monday: April 26, 2202**

**1400 Hours: Earthtime.**

* * *

"Leader Desslok?" asked Talan.

"Yes?"

"What method have you figured out for dealing with that stationary Magna-Flame Gun at Procyon? They could make things very difficult for us with it."

Desslok laughed. "Luckily, I am aware of their range. With our recent upgrade, the range of our S.M.I.T.E. equipment is just a little longer. I plan to exploit that to disable their gun. Do you recall our newest space mines?"

"Yes…the remote ones with the long range and anti-gravity generators?"

"My plan is simple," said Desslok. "We shall warp in and begin a "normal" attack with our forward destroyers. The enemy will prepare their Magna-Flame battery. Then, I will call back the destroyers and have our mines ready. They will be transported into their atmosphere. With them, I will surround their gun and bring it down by remote control. Then, our planes and long-range guns shall do the rest before I fire my Desslok Cannon…or before our troops land."

"And then?" asked Talan.

Desslok smiled. "If we land, I plan to use our radioactive sleeping gas again. Most of the enemy officers will not have spacesuits on. Thus, we can poison them, and I can assume command. I would prefer to take command of a nearly intact base…using my Gun is a secondary alternative, since it would destroy the base. I want the base intact, with dead Cometines."

"That sounds very bloodthirsty," said Astrena.

Desslok laughed. "I mean to guard our backs, our people, and I mean to help your daughter destroy our mutual enemy, Ekogaru. In order to do that, we must eliminate these Cometine pests."

"Amazing…that you refer to fellow sentients as pests."

"They _are_ pests. I once served with them. Zordar was the greatest blowhard in the known Universe. Only Ekogaru might be worse. The Cometine race is a bloodthirsty, unprincipled group. They are a most vile race, and I will be glad to eliminate them from this galaxy at last. Surely you must support this effort?"

"Yes," said Astrena with tight lips. _But I am not sure I approve of your cold, dispassionate methods, Desslok_, she thought.

* * *

The Gamilon Fleet made its warp, and the destroyers headed in at high speed.

The enemy was waiting for them; missiles rained up from the base upon Devat's command after he received a call from a figure waiting in an inner office on the base. Missiles destroyed four Gamilon ships, and laser beams boiling up from the planet's surface blew two others apart. But the Gamilon destroyers managed, nonetheless, to damage the base defenses.

"How goes it?" said Devat.

"They're retreating," said an officer. "We will have a fleet ready in ten minutes to chase them away."

"Let's use our Magna-Flame battery to do that. I'll use our fleet to clean up any survivors."

"Devat," said an accented female voice over a speaker. "Be sure you let this go on a bit longer."

"A bit longer?" he replied with raised eyebrows.

"Yes. I want to meet Desslok _personally_. I want them to land, and I want the agony to continue."

"Princess, we can win…" _And how is it you lived?_ Devat added to himself. _And why did you just arrive here two days ago?_

"But I want to humiliate him _myself_," said the voice as its owner strode out of an inner office. She was in white, and Devat looked thoroughly ill at her arrival. Her chief toady, General Dyre, followed her.

"How did you survive, Princess Invidia?" asked another officer, who looked horribly shocked.

"Did you not think that we would have only one means of escape?" asked Dyre with a laugh. "But, the Princess planned it."

"Where did you escape from? Gatlantis?"

"No," said Invidia. "It went like this…"

* * *

It was November of 2201.

Prince Zordar stood at the great hatch of his Dreadnought. He said, "Come on board! But I can't trust your judgment now, you've made too many mistakes!"

_"Father!"_ gasped Invidia. She knew this was close to a death warrant.

"Dyre, Gorse, you're also both to blame," said Zordar.

"But…but, sir," said Dyre.

"But come on," said Zordar. "I can still use you for _minor_ tasks."

At that, they boarded.

Later, while Zordar was bombarding Earth, Invidia spoke to Dyre. "You know that when Father is done and he takes over Earth, we shall be demoted."

"Yes, I know," said Dyre. "We'll be lucky if we keep our heads."

"Things will not go well from that point on," said Invidia. "But I've always thought that perhaps my father should no longer rule this House?"

"What do you mean?" said Gorse.

"I know where a destroyer is docked aboard this ship," said Invidia. "Let us leave quickly, and let us head back to Petronia. I have forces there loyal to myself. Then, we can take over the Fleet anchorage at Procyon, and, in time, we can take Earth from my father…for ourselves. Then, we can openly launch a campaign against him."

"You would stab your own father in the back?" said Gorse. _By Arishna, you are a treacherous snake!_ Gorse thought.

Invidia laughed. "Yes, I would," she said.

Finally, after the other two generals had agreed to Invidia's plan, they had stolen away right while Zordar was occupied in a barrage of the Megalopolis. Since Zordar died shortly afterwards, and they had warped quickly, neither the Star Force nor the rest of the Gatlantis High Command had noticed their departure. And, like a bacillus, they had escaped their dying host, to move on to infect another host…

* * *

"Now do you understand why I must humiliate him?" said Invidia a while later as she rambled on with Devat.

"You manipulated Desslok. You may even have been the cause of his defection," said Devat.

"Yes, because she felt he was a danger to us," said Dyre. "All he ever spoke of was destroying that aging space battleship from Earth."

"The _Argo?_" said Devat. "They can do nothing…they most likely have been destroyed at Sirius, even by that token force you allowed us to leave there, you…"

A buzzer went off. Devat ran over. "Yes?"

"General Devat, send reinforcements, please. The _Argo _is over Sirius with a fleet, they have raised the flag, their Marines have the remainder of us trapped in a room, they…"

Then, there was the sound of a laser gun, a scream, and silence.

Then, there came a deep voice. "_Yo!_ Any of you green guys listening out there? This is Lieutenant Hemsford of Earth, the new CO here at Sirius. The last of your guys are dead now and we're eatin' from out of your cafeteria! Your food is good, you guys! Too bad you're probably having Gamilon problems now, and can't come do anything! See you guys in hell! Bye!" There was laughter on the other end, and the circuit went dead before Invidia could scream out a retort.

"Ready the Magna-Flame gun!" yelled Invidia. "_Get them_! I want to destroy Desslok _NOW_!"

"Of course," said Gorse. "May _I_ operate it?"

* * *

"They're preparing to fire the gun, sir," said Talan.

"Wonderful," mocked Desslok. "Now, shall we send them some mines?"

Desslok nodded, and a crewman activated the S.M.I.T.E. unit.

The mines were transported to the area around the Magna-Flame Gun.

"Excellent," said Desslok.

"An interesting tactic," gasped Astrena. "Even I must say so."

"Astrena?" asked Desslok.

"I…I'll be all right."

Then, an image came up on the screen. "Message from the Cometines, sir!"

"Maybe they want to surrender?" mused Desslok. "Put them on."

"Greetings, Leader Desslok," said a heavily accented voice. "I just thought you would like to know who shall soon doom you."

Invidia moved in front of the screen.

"You still live?" said Desslok with slow, deadly emphasis.

Invidia laughed. "Yes, I still live, Desslok. But you will soon die. Watch my move as I train our second Magna-Flame Cannon upon you!" At that, she faded out with evil laughter as Desslok made an angry fist.

Invidia pressed a button, and a second Magna-Flame battery appeared. It powered up, fired, and warped its deadly payload right into the center of the Gamilon Fleet.

There was a great explosion. The Gamilstadt shook.

"The carrier _Zenig_ has been destroyed!" said one Gamilon voice on Desslok's bridge.

"Destroyers _323_ and _156_ have been destroyed!"

"The battleship _Bamirdan_ has taken a direct hit! She's _scuttling_!"

At the same time, as the _Gamilstadt_ shook, Astrena moaned.

Desslok looked at her with concern and then turned back to Talan. "We've had enough of this! Launch our planes and attack that second battery! When they are finished softening up the base, we shall move in for the kill. We will hesitate no more!"

"Yessir!" snapped Talan.

* * *

"What?" said Devat about three minutes later just as Invidia was about to fire the Magna-Flame battery again, this time right at Desslok's flagship.

"Sir," said a voice over a comm system. "We can't launch planes…they're trashed the runway…and they got that second Magna-Flame battery…we…ARRGH!"

There was an explosion, and then silence.

Invidia looked out a window, and she saw several Gamilon planes warping in, thanks to S.M.I.T.E. Soon, they were diving towards the base.

Bombs fell. She and Dyre fell down, and she screamed as some of the wall screens fell down in the command bunker.

"Curse that Desslok!" said Invidia.

* * *

A few more minutes passed.

"Sir," said Fraken on a screen. "All of the planes have returned to our carrier."

"Excellent," said Desslok. "Now, pull in along beside our squadron. We shall begin the final charge."

"There will be no landing?" asked Talan.

"No. I'm sure that you understand I want her _dead_ now?"

"Yes…anything to be rid of that evil woman at last, Leader Desslok!" said Talan.

"It sounds as if you two don't _like_ her," said Astrena weakly.

"I have nothing but hatred for that woman…who threw Desslok in prison and held him there without a trial," said Talan. "The Earthers…they are barbarians. They can't _help_ what they are. But, these Cometines…they are pure, malignant evil. I rue the day we ever made common cause with them, Leader Desslok!"

"So do I, General Talan," said Desslok softly. Then, he got up from his command chair. Desslok then stood at the head of his bridge and flipped his arm downwards. "All ships, bombard that base!"

The Gamilon Fleet plunged in towards the base at full attack speed. Destroyers flanked the _Gamilstadt_ as the last attack run began. A moment later, space was filled with many pink beams as the Cometine destroyers that were beginning to take off were shot down one by one by the Gamilons. Soon, there was only sporadic resistance as the Gamilon Fleet stopped in low orbit, only a few hundred kilometers over the base.

"Call that base," said Desslok. "I wish to speak to our enemy before I deliver the final blow."

"Of course," said Talan.

* * *

A moment later, a visual image of Desslok came up on screen. "Hello there, my Cometine friends!" he said in a mocking voice.

"Desslok!" screamed Invidia. "How dare you mock us and defect?"

"I have found better friends on the _Argo_ than I ever found in your vile pesthouse, Princess Invidia. While I respected your father, and still feel I owe him a debt for brining me back to life, it was because of your wonderful kindness that I gave the Terrans the secret of how to destroy _Gatlantis_. I am glad that they succeeded, even though I am disappointed to observe that you did not die there. Perhaps I shall have a chance to redress that error today, when I kill you."

"How dare you say that I will die?"

Desslok smiled. "You may send a fleet against us. You may send planes. But it will all be for naught soon. We are over your base, and I plan to take care of you. I hoped to do so in person, but I don't think you will mind a long-distance gift from me; we can always take your secondary headquarters bunker."

Desslok snapped his fingers, and the firing grip for his Desslok Cannon came up. A pulsing noise began on his bridge.

"Farewell, Invidia. Say hello to your father for me!" said Desslok as he leaned over the firing grip.

"How dare he?" screamed Invidia. "Dyre, we must go to our ship…"

"Princess…"

"_NOW_!"

"But you are abandoning us?" said Devat.

"You can take care of yourself," said Invidia as she ran out. "Best wishes to you. Bow the knee to me again someday if you live."

And, at that, Invidia left.

* * *

"Thirty seconds to firing," said Talan.

"Wonderful," said Desslok with an evil light in his eyes. "It will be good, sending Invidia to the end she deserves."

"Ten seconds to firing," Talan said over the increasing pulse of the gun.

"Object approaching the ship!" yelled a crewman.

"_What?"_ asked Desslok.

* * *

"Princess!" yelled Dyre aboard the speeding Cometine destroyer. "You're mad!"

"No, I just have good aim," laughed Invidia as she personally shoved aside a gunner to aim the destroyer's turrets. "He's ready to fire, and he's helpless! One quick barrage, and then…we warp out, and that is the end of the Gamilon Desslok. FIRE!"

Invidia personally thumbed the firing stud.

* * *

"What?" yelled Talan.

_"Evasive!"_ yelled Desslok as he shut down the firing sequence. The Cometine destroyer roared in, evading protective fire from the rest of Desslok's fleet.

A few laser beams battered the _Gamilstadt_. There were several explosions as the bridge momentarily went dark on Desslok's flagship and Astrena screamed. Desslok himself fell to the deck, earning several bruises in the process. Only the flare of explosions illuminated the bridge as Invidia's ship blasted up and over the stunned Gamilon fleet. Only two ships fired upon her as she warped away to parts unknown.

A few moments later, Desslok heard a soft moaning. He ran to Astrena's side.

"My head," she moaned as she lay there bleeding with her coronet knocked off. "Hurt…"

"You have to pull through," whispered Desslok. "For yourself…and for the sake of our people. You carry the future within you."

"I know," she gasped. Then, she lay back, gasping. "Call the medics."

"Astrena?"

"Your heir is on the way," she said with a smile. "It will be difficult, but I think I will live…"

Then, she went unconscious. Talan came over. "Leader Desslok."

"Guard her, Talan. I must finish this!"

Desslok ran over to his firing grip. "Resume the sequence!" he said through gritted teeth. The pulsing hum of the Desslok cannon came up again as Talan held Astrena's hand. _How do I tell him_, thought Talan, _that perhaps Fate has dogged him. His mother died having him…I was there when he came into the world, screaming in battle years ago at the Paldondia Front in the Magellenic Cloud. What if his son is fated to come into the Cosmos in the same way, leaving behind a dead mother and a grieving father? I pray that will not be the case here, not now. Desslok has been through too much_!

The firing sequence ran through again. Finally, Desslok glared at the Cometine base through the gunsight with angry tears in his eyes and his uniform dirty from being thrown to the deck.

"Ten seconds to firing!" said Desslok. He completed the countdown, and finally pulled back his firing grip. "FIRE!"

Desslok ground his teeth and watched as his ship's windows went dark. A beam of energy blasted out of the firing gate, roaring down towards the main Cometine headquarters.

General Devat died moments later as the main part of his base was devastated in a flaming blast. In the lower docking bays, Cometine carriers, battleships, and destroyers were blown to bits before their crews could finish the needed steps to sortie. Scorpions were battered about in the flight bays like toys along with their pilots as the pink energy of the Desslok gun decimated the Cometine base at Procyon VI.

In moments, only a mushroom cloud was left as its tombstone. Desslok stood there with his head bowed as the medics came and carried Astrena off to his sickbay.

"I cannot leave the bridge now," said Desslok.

"I understand," said Talan.

"Prepare the landing operation. We need to occupy the outskirts of the base after the fires go out."

"And then?"

"And then we notify the Star Force."

* * *

**V. SOME LOOSE ENDS**

**Sirius V**

**Monday: April 26, 2202**

**2100 Hours: Earthtime.**

* * *

On the bridge of the _Argo_, the crew gathered to hear Homer's latest message, with Dash standing right near Combat behind Commodore Wildstar as Homer spoke.

"Leader Desslok reports that, as of twenty-thirty hours, Earthtime, the Cometine Base at Procyon has been secured by Gamilon forces. He advises us that there is no longer any threat to us from enemy operations from that base. That will be all."

"Thank you, Homer," said Derek.

The bridge doors opened, and Aliscea stepped in a moment later, back in her usual black clothing. The crew looked at her in shock.

"I have completed my healing trance," she said. "I would advise you to ask your forces to occupy the fourth planet of the Arcturus system. Ten lightyears from there, I believe, in a region you call the Void of Cape Horn, is where the major Technomugar forces will be gathering for the battle. The Dark Lord expects to arrive there in a day and a half before he warps into your solar system. I believe that he can best be caught there, if he lives."

"What do you mean, _if he lives_?" asked Derek.

"Ekogaru, at this time, shall soon face a challenge from within his own Empire. He will either die this night, or he will rise again in a more powerful and virulent form than before. What will happen, I do not know. He is now only two days and two hours away from your solar system." At that, the whole bridge crew audibly gasped. "I foresee that if his nation's drive will be stopped, he will either be stopped tonight by his own forces, or stopped by many Earth forces with my aid in one day and two hours from now. Or, barring that… he will be stopped by only three people, with a cost of two lives, just a few minutes before he destroys the Earth." Aliscea paused to let her words sink in.

"What do you mean, with a cost of two lives?" asked Nova softly.

"If the worst comes to worst, two of those who confront the Dark Lord will pass into the valley of the shadow of Death. But I do not know if that will be a temporary state, or a permanent one. As I am sure Mark Venture can tell you, Death is a strange thing. He has passed through that dark gate and survived. And you, Nova, were in the shadow of that grim gate yourself almost two years ago. But, _Yamato _will care for her own."

"_Yamato_?" said Commodore Wildstar. "Aliscea, with all respect, this ship was named _Yamato_, but now she has been renamed the _Argo_."

"Yet, if she survives this ordeal, with Earth, she will again bear her old name."

"I can't change her name," said Derek in shock. "Captain Avatar himself renamed this ship for the mission to Iscandar. I can't reverse what he did? With all respect, Aliscea, I think that you're being a little…"

"Think you not that, somewhere, your Captain does not still live?" asked Aliscea. "And do you not think that he can rename his ship if he chooses? And do you not think that he will tell you?"

"But, Aliscea, the Captain is…"

"You will soon see him again," said Aliscea slowly. "And at that time, you shall learn how elastic the border is between this world and the next. I can see things that you cannot perceive. And, I can see that you shall speak with your Captain Avatar, your former Commanding Admiral, once again before the end of this war. And it shall be on this Bridge. Do you not see him?" she said, looking right at Nova.

Nova's eyes went open. "I…I think…"

"You can see him, if only like a fog?"

Nova nodded. "Guys, you'll probably think I'm crazy, but…"

"You see him. Just as I see my mother in labor. My stepbrother is about to be born. Now, if you will excuse me, I must help her." Aliscea turned to leave. "Commodore Wildstar, please talk to your Commanding General. Ask him what he thinks about Arcturus. Now, if you will excuse me…"

Aliscea left. Finally, Venture turned to Nova quietly. "Did you really see him, Nova?"

"I…I don't want to say," she replied. "I need to sit down, please. I'm tired again. And I don't know why."

At that, Derek helped Nova back to her post.

* * *

**VI. THE MARTYRDOM OF EKOGARU (?)**

**The Grand Technomugar Fortress**

**Central Meeting Chamber**

**Tuesday: April 27, 2202**

**0015 Hours: Earthtime.**

* * *

The Technomugar Fortress had just warped again. It was now a mere 9900 lightyears away from the Sol System.

"Two more warps," said Ekogaru as he sat on his throne. "Yes, a warp this time tomorrow, and a warp this time in the wee hours of what the Terrans call 'Thursday', and I we will be in their solar system at last and our vengeance will reach the Final Crescendo of my symphonic work of Death! Why the glum faces, my friends?"

"Lordship, we demand a decision from you," said Hollander.

"I know you have ordered me to take the Third and Ninth Carrier Fleets to help Kazan and Grodez set a trap for the Star Force near the Cape Horn Nebula," said Migdal. "But, before I leave, we must know! Will you accept our offer or not?"

"If you mean your puerile offer to retire, no, I absolutely refuse. And, I know you are planning to kill me, Hollander. Why not come clean, confess, and repent? I may let you live...for a short time longer," hissed Ekogaru.

"Very well," said Marda. "If we are to kill you, let it begin now!"

She nodded, and an anonymous crewman pressed a button on a console across the room.

Ekogaru's throne exploded…with him on it.

The Dark Lord fell screaming to the floor, gravely wounded. He fell to his knees, clutching at his throne.

"DAMN you!" he yelled to Marda. "You shall go first!" He raised his trembling hands, and fire flew forth from them.

With a scream, Marda was hit hard by the blast and her body was thrown across the room.

Hollander fired his blaster at Ekogaru. There were three shots, going straight through the ruined cyborg body of the Dark Lord.

"Even you, Hollander?" hissed Ekogaru.

"Yes, even me," said Hollander. He kicked the Dark Lord to his knees. "Now, deal with your own favorite thing, Death!"

"No, not now," hissed the dying Dark Lord. He grasped an arm of his ruined throne and pressed a button. It began to glow, and something like a dark cloud passed from the Dark Lord into a nearby computer console.

"Farewell," hissed Ekogaru, just before the light went out in his cyborg eyes. Then, the screens on the nearby console also gleamed bright red and then went dark. Only one screen was left. A single line of data, in Rikashan, remained on the screen.

It read: **_TRANSFERRENCE SUCCESSFUL._**

"What does that mean?" said Migdal as he looked at the screen.

"Some mad experiment of his," said Hollander as he flicked a switch. The screen went black. He then felt Ekogaru's corpse. "Well, that is it. He's dead."

"You still want me to go to Cape Horn Nebula?"

"Yes, we need to fight the Terrans to cover our departure from this galaxy," said Hollander. Then, he looked around. "Does anyone object to my being our new Lord?"

Tra'Chariv took Ekogaru's cloak off the body and threw it over Hollander's shoulders. "Hail, Second Lord of the Technomugar, Hollander the Great."

The others cheered Hollander as he walked about to a microphone. "Attention, all hands," he said. "There was an explosion in the central meeting chamber. It was caused by a leftover from the Gamilon attack of yesterday. Ekogaru the Great fell shielding us from the blast. He is dead. He passed power to me before he died. Remember our first Lord as a great martyr, and let him rest in peace. We shall soon change course, but only after Migdal's fleet and the fleets of our allies teach Earth a lesson at the Cape Horn Nebula. We are heading back home for repairs. Someday, we shall return. But, now is not the day. Not yet. We shall rule this Galaxy, though, even if it takes us…a thousand years!"

At that, everyone cheered. But, deep in the Fortress' computer systems, a black spirit smiled. _Hollander, you fool_, it thought_. If you think I am dead, than you know little. But you have played right into my hands, and ensured your own death. Now, all I need is time…time to learn how to use my new body! Then, you shall be dealt with, all of you! _

* * *

**_To Be Continued with Act Four: "Third Movement: Allegro"_**

* * *

**_THE GRAND FORTRESS IS NOW 2 DAYS AWAY FROM EARTH'S SOLAR SYSTEM…WHAT WILL BECOME OF EARTH?_**

* * *


	4. Chapter 4

**ALTERNATE TALES OF THE STAR FORCE**

**STAR BLAZERS****---****RAGNAROK**

**Being the eleventh and final part of THE RIKASHA INCIDENT--- BY: Frederick P. Kopetz**

Thanks to Gail Kopetz for a bizarre occurrence near the end of this installment--_Freddo_

* * *

**ACT FOUR: THIRD MOVEMENT--- ALLEGRO**

* * *

**I. HOLLANDER'S PLANS**

**The Grand Technomugar Fortress**

**4,900 Lightyears Away from Earth's Solar System**

**Wednesday April 28, 2202**

**0900 Hours: Earth Time**

* * *

"We are now almost near Earth," said Hollander a day later as the Technomugar Fortress sat in another nebula; one filled with electrical energy. _Not even Aliscea can easily track us here_, he thought with a smile.

"Yes, and we confused the Garuman fleet by making several false start warps on imaginary course headings, thus leaving them erroneous gravitational trails to follow!" said Migdal. "Now, at less than 5,000 lightyears away from the Terrans' star system, we are slowly heading above the galactic ecliptic out of this galactic system."

"Our next planned warp of 4,000 lightyears early tomorrow will take us away from the galactic disk entirely," said Bralak.

"It will," said Hollander. "But, in the meantime, you two have work to do. Migdal, you will take command of the Third Carrier Fleet and meet Kazan 4800 lightyears away near the Cape Horn Nebula. From there, you two will attack Earth, meeting the main part of their Fleet near Neptune. They will have their Third Fleet and their Fifth Fleet waiting there in battle formation…they expect us to hit them there, and we must do that to get rid of this dangerous, concentrated Fleet. Then, after destroying those units, destroy their First Fleet, which is being kept in reserve near Earth, and then their Second and Fourth Fleets which they will have in the Mars and Venus orbits as backups. We received these plans from the R'Khells through a spy named Borland who is now captured, unfortunately. I want all of their main fleets annihilated!"

"Yessir," said Migdal.

"Bralak, you, Panchen and Grodez will wait near the Cape Horn Nebula. There, you will play a recording that will supposedly be a surrender message from your forces to the Star Force. When the _Argo_ traces it here, they will run into your carriers, to be lured into a trap set by Grodez' Gorba task force. Are we clear on this?"

"Yes," smiled Bralak.

"Good," said Hollander. "Take your places; today we begin this operation. We may be on our way out, but we shall strike a great final blow and leave Earth defenseless, the _Argo_ destroyed and Aliscea dead."

* * *

**Two Hours Later….(1100 Hours, Earth-Time)**

Near Neptune, Rear Admiral Terrell Spears sat on the bridge of his flagship, the _Andromeda_-class space battleship _Aphrodite_.

"Any sign of the enemy yet?" he asked. "I know that the patrol ships said they're on the way…it's supposed to be a secondary assault fleet, but it's supposed to be _huge_."

"No, sir, no response yet," said his radar officer, a young man from India known as Lt. Deshad Pashnir.

"Damn. I'm just waiting for those guys to show up."

"Sir, we're probably fortunate," said his Deputy Captain, the Combat Group Leader of the _Aphrodite_, a man known as Commander Robert Eisenbaum. "This way, we had more time to gather the fleets. Is the Fifth Fleet here yet?"

"Rear Admiral Perulov should be here shortly with the _Scorpio_," said Spears. "She's just as big as this ship, and she's dragging a good-sized fleet behind her."

"How big is good-sized?" asked Eisenbaum.

"Good-sized is good-sized," said Lt. Commander Perivale Eliot," the _Aphrodite_'s Navigation Group Leader and helmsman, who hailed from Australia. "Same size as the fleet we're leading, with an Interplanetary Defense Squadron behind it, I think. Too bad my husband isn't here. He and the kids must miss me."

"What's he do?" said Lt. Julia Ugarte, the ship's new Tactical Radar officer, who had just transferred aboard.

"He's a doctor at Central Hospital He's got the kids…but he wishes he could've been here. Last I heard from him was four days ago, and he said they might have to move underground. I'm kind of scared."

"They did have to go underground, ma'am," said Ugarte.

"Oh, God no," said Eliot, hiding her face in her hands for a moment. Eisenbaum got up to comfort her with a pat on the back. "Thanks," she said.

"Don't mention it," said her shipmate. "You've gotta get home safe for Rick, Peri."

"Yeah…thanks."

"How many ships are behind us, sir?" asked Ugarte as she turned to Admiral Spears. "I didn't get to hear all of the briefing before I piped aboard."

"Well," said Spears, "The Third Earth Defense Fleet, which this is the flagship of, consists of the _Aphrodite_, six _Jamaica_-class space battleships, a _Yorktown_-class spacecraft carrier, eight _New York_-class space Fleet Cruisers, and forty-nine _Warsaw_-class space destroyers, for a total of sixty-five space warships. We're backed up by the Sixth Interplanetary Defense Squadron, which consists of a single _Jamaica_-class space battleship, two Fleet Cruisers, two Patrol Cruisers, and twelve destroyers. With the Fifth Fleet and Seventh Squadron following us, we have a total of one hundred and sixty-four ships out here."

"I think we can beat them with that much, sir. And isn't the _Argo_ gonna be showing up soon?"

"Not here."

"Why?"

"She's on her way out to Arcturus with the rest of her Task Force followed by Admiral Yamanami and his Fourth Fleet. They're taking a base out there and waiting for the main enemy thrust there around the Cape Horn Nebula." Then, Spears dropped his voice to a near-whisper. "Rumor has it they expect the Fortress to come through around there, and the _Argo's_ been waiting to get it."

"How is one ship going to stop a whole Fortress?" asked Eisenbaum.

"How did one ship stop Zordar?" asked Spears rhetorically.

Eisenbaum nodded.

Finally, Lt. Pashnir spoke up. "Enemy Fleet approaching, sir. Distance, forty-five megameters, speed, thirty space knots. It's a carrier fleet, and they just came out of warp and they're launching. Looks like over two hundred ships. Putting an image up on video."

Spears looked up at the huge, ugly red Technomugar carrier leading the enemy fleet…it was right in front of Neptune. "What a monstrosity. Well, here we go!" said Spears. He signalled to his comm officer. "All battleships and carriers, launch planes! Enemy planes coming in! Fighters, prepare to engage; strike fighters and torpedo bombers, go out there and bring those damn ships down!"

The Fleet's fighters engaged the Technomugar planes first. The fighter battle was fast-paced, consisting of a hundred different dogfights, little gallantry on the part of the enemy, and a great deal of viciousness.

The enemy seemed to care little about his own well-being. It was common for enemy planes to kamikaze directly into Earth planes, or, for that matter, into Earth warships. In the first five minutes, Earth lost six destroyers and a cruiser to this sort of tactic, and the Third Fleet space battleship _Zimbabwe_ was badly damaged by two Technomugar planes ramming her at once.

But, soon, Earth planes were striking back at Migdal's main fleet. Technomugar space battleships and carriers were soon burning thanks to the Earth planes taking care of them with missile and torpedo attacks.

However, for every loss that the enemy took, the Technomugar pilots were giving a terrible payback of their own. The news that Spears was receiving was not good.

"This is the destroyer _Valiant!_ We've taken heavy fire…our main engine is burning…we're…"

Spears looked up as yet another destroyer exploded.

"Sir!" said Pashnir. "Part of the enemy fleet has just warped! They're emerging from warp all around us!"

"Range?"

"Four megameters! And they're opening fire!"

Spears looked at another view as at least fifteen Earth vessels were blown apart by the guns of the enemy battleships and destroyers.

"So that's the way they wanna play this?" said Spears. "All ships, track the enemy, and return fire!"

A moment later, the Earth fleet was firing back as battleship after battleship, cruiser after cruiser, and destroyer after destroyer lit up the blackness of space near Neptune with shot after shot of their own.

Finally, at long last, the Earth fleet was giving its own payback as Technomugar ships blasted apart around them like clay pigeons on a shooting range. The battle was chaotic and somewhat frightening, but, at that moment, Earth was beginning to reclaim her honor.

"Not bad," said Migdal back on his flagship, the large carrier that Spears had first seen. She was called the _Nadaniya_. "Of course, you realize that I haven't brought in the spoiler, yet. Crew, order more launches, and prepare our own guns and missiles! Keep up our fire from this direction until I order Kazan to come in. He'll stab them in the back!"

"Yessir," said one of the _Nadaniya's_ crewmen. "Carrying out your orders right away, sir." The Technomugar officers smiled wickedly, ignoring the flare that came over his panel as an Earth Cosmo Tiger scored a small hit on the _Nadaniya_. "How long do you think it'll take?"

"Not long. Within a few hours, we should be advancing upon Earth herself."

"Excellent," laughed the enemy officer. "I love a battle where we're winning, don't you?"

"Yes," said the other officer. "The spirit of our fallen Lord Ekogaru is still with us!"

"Yes," laughed Migdal, fully aware that he had helped kill the Dark Lord. "He is smiling upon us from Heaven. And we will win in his name."

Hollander called in during the battle. "How goes it, Migdal?"

"Wonderful," said Migdal with an evil smile. "We shall soon break them! Should I order Kazan to strike the rear yet?"

Hollander nodded. "Turn that enemy fleet into space trash."

Both Hollander and Migdal laughed.

* * *

**II. THE BATTLE OF THE CAPE HORN NEBULA**

**Space Battleship _Argo_**

**Wednesday April 28, 2202**

**1200 Hours: Earth Time**

* * *

Commodore Derek Wildstar shut his eyes as the _Argo_ passed into warp.

As usual, there was the sense of disorientation, angst, and fear that accompanied the passage into hyperspace. The _Argo_ and her crew seemed to drift in a void, everywhere and nowhere all at once.

Finally, the disorientation passed, and the mighty space battleship faded back into normal space with a wild flash of light.

"Warp complete," said Mark Venture as his post.

"Conditions on second bridge normal," said Holly Venture below.

"Material condition of the ship is normal," said Sandor.

"The rest of the Task Force is behind us, Derek," said Nova from her radar.

"Good," said Derek. "Aliscea, come here."

The young Pellian, summoned from her temporary post at Analysis, walked forward and bowed to Derek. She shut her eyes and then smiled. "I feel the Fortress and the Technomugar life-force about 4800 lightyears away. I think we can soon ambush them after we deal with the enemy forces that Fourth Fleet reported around here. I also think I feel something else," she said with a pregnant pause.

"What?"

"I don't feel Ekogaru any more," she said slowly. "I think he's dead at last."

Dash jumped up from his post and cheered. "Yeah! We won the big one! He looked at Nova and Aliscea. You girls did it!"

Homer got up and laughed. "We can go home soon!"

"We won!" laughed Paul, who got up and hugged his wife.

"Hold it!" snapped Commodore Wildstar. "Back to your posts, everybody! We need confirmation of this!"

Homer ran to his post after he heard a message coming in. "We're getting a message from the Technomugar!" he said.

"Put it on video," said Commodore Wildstar.

A moment later, a white-haired Technomugar commander with light skin and an eyepatch appeared on the main screen.

"Gentlemen and ladies," he said in a deep voice, "I am General Panchen of the Grand Technomugar. It appears you have _won_. Lord Hollander, our new leader, has officiated at the death of Ekogaru. Behold, here lies our hero in state."

The Star Force looked shocked as they saw an image of the Dark Lord's broken cyborg form lying dead on an altar covered with a black cloth, surrounded by torches, and guarded by thirteen black-clad Technomugar men and women. "He just died recently. He said that you were to be treated with honor for at last killing him. Hollander is ordering a withdrawal from your star system now. I ask you to come to TX-113 in your coordinate grid, just beyond the edge of the Cape Horn Nebula near what you call Granton's Area. There, we shall meet with you and Aliscea to negotiate a cease-fire before we leave your galaxy. Do you agree?"

"I need to _confirm_ that your forces are pulling back first before we warp to your location," said Commodore Wildstar.

"Do you not accept my word?" asked Panchen. "We are honest. Inform me in one hour if you accept my offer or not. Peace depends upon it."

At that, the message faded out.

"Well?" said Derek to Aliscea.

"I think he is dead," she said. "But I detect deceit in his words. I am unsure what he is lying about, though. The Dark Lord certainly looks dead…"

"Homer, connect me with the Commander, if possible. I need to know what's going on back at Earth."

"Yessir," said Homer.

* * *

Some distance away, on the Earth space battleship _Cepheus_, Rear Admiral Yamanami sat in command of Fourth Fleet.

"Sir, we've lost contact with Third Fleet," said his comm officer.

"We were successful here at Arcturus; we have Marines on the planet," said Yamanami. "But this doesn't sound good. Try to raise Admiral Spears again!"

"No response, sir," said Yamanami's comm officer a moment later. "I'm picking up jamming, though. Lots of it."

"Enemy fleet at port, 140 degrees off the bow!" said the _Cepheus_' radar officer, a young woman with red hair. "Range, nine megameters! Looks like twenty-five space battleships and fifty cruisers. We're outnumbered! I'm not sure where they're from, though. I'm trying to get a match!"

"Communication from the enemy fleet!" said the comm officer. "Should I put it up on video, sir?"

"Do it," said Yamanami.

A moment later, a pitiless, blue-skinned face appeared on the lower right quadrant of the _Andromeda_-class _Cepheus_' main screen.

"I would like you to withdraw at once; otherwise, you will be guilty of violating a cease-fire that is now being negotiated," said the enemy commander.

"Who are you and what the hell are you talking about?" demanded Yamanami.

"I am General Meldazz of the Black Nebula Empire. Many of my people have allied themselves with the forces of the Lord Ekogaru's forces, even though His approach devastated our home galaxy. We were promised property and eternal life in compensation for what we lost. If you would have peace, withdraw now! This is our territory by the promise of Lord Hollander!"

"Let me contact Earth first," said Yamanami.

"Go ahead and try," said Meldazz. "I am surprised that you don't accept my word."

Yamanami cut off. "Call Earth," he said.

"Trying, sir…" said the comm officer a moment later…he was named Lt. Emil Patrovksy, and was from Poland. "Sir, I'm hailing Earth, but I'm getting no response. I think we're being selectively jammed."

"What a damn dirty trick," said Yamanami.

"Sir," said Patrovsky. "I'm getting a signal from the _Argo_."

"Put them on!"

A moment later, Derek Wildstar's face appeared on Yamanami's screen. "Admiral," he said. "Can you reach Earth from where you are? We need to get through to the Commander."

"We've just tried to call Earth ourselves," said Yamanami. "I think the hyperspatial transmission lane is being jammed by the enemy."

"Jammed," said Derek. "We're getting the same thing, sir. We were just offered a cease-fire by the Technomugar if we went to a certain void in the Nebula to meet with them. I asked for permission to contact Earth, but they're jamming that transmission path for us, too."

"They're trying to trick us, I think," said Yamanami.

Wildstar nodded. "I think so, too."

"So what are you doing?" said Yamanami.

"I'm going into the Nebula…but at a different location than they want us to go. It's risky, but I hope I can get that fleet from behind."

"You want to ambush them?"

Derek nodded. "I don't think they want a true cease-fire…do you?"

Yamanami shook his head. "I'm going to hold our position here; we'll back you up if you need it. Good luck in that nebula, Commodore."

"Thank you, sir," said Wildstar. The transmission ended.

A moment later, Meldazz called again.

"So, you've been talking behind our backs?" said Meldazz.

"And you're jamming our transmission path to Earth?"

"You are to take us at our word, Admiral. You and Wildstar both. You are to withdraw, and he is to meet with Panchen. We offer you Terrans no other options. If you want peace, do it _our_ way!"

"And what if we don't withdraw?" asked Yamanami. "We need this territory to protect our planet Earth."

"If you will not withdraw, well, then, you shall be destroyed," said Meldazz. "Then let it be on your own foolish head! We shall attack!"

Then, the _Cepheus'_ screen went dark. A moment later, the enemy fleet began to attack.

"Spread out!" ordered Yamanami. "All ships, ready main guns! Target, enemy fleet! Prepare to fire on my mark!"

And, on that note, another battle began, about thirty lightyears away from Earth.

* * *

Near Neptune, another Black Nebulan Fleet under Kazan's command was helping Migdal blow apart the Third and Fifth Fleets.

Earth ship after Earth ship was meeting its doom under the enemy's guns, yet the Third and Fifth Fleets gallantly fought hard and fought on.

"Sir," said Eisenbaum. "When can we get in formation for firing wave motion guns?"

"Not yet," said Spears.

"Communication from Admiral Perulov."

"Put it on screen."

Admiral Perulov spoke to Spears. "Great God, when are you going to let loose all we have?'

"Not yet," said Spears.

"Why not, Terrell?"

"Because I've just called up First Fleet. Admiral Falworth is on his way to assume command. You fall back and meet him. I'll lead my fleet in there to draw their fire and take as many of them with us as we can."

"But, Terrell…"

"We've taken heavy losses," said Spears as another explosion shook the _Aphrodite_. "Half our fleet's gone, so we may as well kick some ass and go for it. I'll see you later, Nikolai. Take the _Scorpio_ and get out of there…got it?"

"Yessir," said Perulov. He sat in silence as Spears went off his screen. "Goodbye, my friend," he muttered as he wiped a tear out of the corner of his eye.

At that, the Third Fleet cruised onwards.

"Look at them," sneered Kazan. "So, they think they'll stop us? They'll find out something quite different. All ships, advance!" Then, he switched on his comm circuit. "Migdal?" he said.

"Yes?"

"You can fall back now. We'll take care of this! And we'll take care of _them_!"

"Understood," said Migdal with a cold smile.

The Third Fleet cruised in, with its guns going off as it met the Black Nebulan and Technomugar fleets. The _Aphrodite_, the other space battleships, and the carrier and cruisers targeted the enemy ships, destroying the Technomugar ships with blow upon blow, but they were only able to take out the Black Nebulan cruisers…the Black Nebulan battleships, with their heavy armor, were able to endure the Earth barrage.

"Return fire!" snapped Kazan.

The surviving Technomugar and Black Nebulan ships fought back as one. Soon, a tragedy was beginning to unfold for the Third Fleet as the Earth fleet began to take major losses.

"Sir," said Pashnir. "We've just lost the _Braunschweig_, the _Nevada_, and the _Shikoku_, sir!"

"Well, there goes our cruiser screen," said Spears.

A moment later, as she returned fire, the _Aphrodite_ herself began to take hit after hit.

"Both port side auxiliary engines are out," said her engineer.

"Gun turret number two is out," said Eisenbaum.

"I'm having trouble keeping her on course," said Peri Eliot.

"The enemy flagship's right in front of us," said Eisenbaum as something exploded on the First Bridge, killing Pashnir. The bridge began to fill with smoke.

"We can't take this, sir," coughed Eliot.

"We're not going to," hacked Spears. "Ram that ship!"

_Goodbye, my love…my children_, thought Peri as images of her husband and family went through her mind. "Of course, sir," she said. "Full…_speed_!"

A moment later, Kazan's eyes went wide as the burning _Aphrodite_ blasted in.

"They're trying to ram us!" he yelled. "Evade!"

"Too late, sir," said his helmsman.

"Warp us!"

"We…can't…we…"

There was a huge explosion. A moment later, both ships were nothing but gas and debris.

"Damn him," said Migdal. "Fleet, regroup around me! We've got to destroy those bastards!"

The rest of Kazan's fleet fought on, though, even as the remnants of the Third Fleet blew it slowly to bits.

The battle went on.

* * *

**An Hour Later…In the Cape Horn Nebula…(1320 Hours)**

The _Argo_ was still unable to get through to the Commander because of interference in the area.

So, suspecting a trap, Commodore Wildstar ordered a warp directly into the Cape Horn Nebula…but far outside the void that the Technomugar has specified. As he had told Yamanami, he hoped to ambush the enemy fleet.

The space battleship emerged not far from TX-113 at TX-110. The ship, it turned out, had warped right into the middle of the nebula.

"Where's the void?' asked Derek.

"There _is_ a void here, but it's very small," said Nova. "I think this is a trick."

"Can you keep scanning?"

"It'll be difficult," she said as the _Argo_ cruised out of the nebula into a small area of open space, and cruised right into…madness.

"There's a huge fleet in front of us, " said Eager. "Range, eight megameters…"

"We've got them," said Dash. "What do they have, Nova?"

Nova then spoke. "Identification: Technomugar. There's ten space battleships, twenty cruisers, thirty destroyers, and they're opening fire."

"Prepare for incoming fire," said Commodore Wildstar as a huge spread of energy beams flashed towards the _Argo_. "Dash! Return fire!"

"Got it," said Dash. "Opening main guns."

"Preparing evasive maneuvers," said Venture. "Ninety degrees port!"

The _Argo_ turned, just avoiding most of the Technomugar fire as it roared in. She took a few small hits, but just evaded destruction by a few hundred meters.

"Main guns locked on," said Dash.

"Turrets one, two and three ready," said Rosstowski from his post.

"Open fire!" snapped Commodore Wildstar.

At that, the _Argo_ spoke back, beginning to give back the same treatment she was taking.

All of her guns spoke at once, blasting destruction right into the enemy fleet.

"I don't believe this!" said Panchen aboard his flagship as he spoke to Hollander. "They were ready for us!"

"You idiot!" said Hollander. "You weren't convincing enough!"

"Permission to fall back?"

"Denied," said Hollander. "Herd them to Grodez' position and then seal them off. You are to fight to the last man, you moron!"

"Yessir," said Panchen.

* * *

Near Arcturus, Yamanami and the rest of the Task Force had finally defeated Meldazz, but at quite a cost. Yamanami had ordered the firing of the Fleet's wave motion guns, but the _Cepheus_ was badly damaged by an enemy barrage as she was charging up her wave guns, forcing her to retire from the battle right before the fleet fired.

The _Cepheus_, now damaged, sat on Arcturus near the Marines' positions. Yamanami, in the meantime, had transferred his flag to the _Bolivia_, which was the battleship left in the best condition after the battle.

"So where are we going?" asked Captain Peronada as Yamanami assumed command of the Fleet.

"Easy; we're going to see what's going on with the _Argo_. She might need a hand. Keep a few ships back here; we're warping towards the Cape Horn Nebula."

"Roger."

* * *

The _Argo_ advanced forward, towards an escape route. She had destroyed most of Panchen's fleet.

"I'm picking up some weird signals," said Homer.

"What?" said Commodore Wildstar. He sat at his post, with his teeth clenching as Nova said, "Six large ships, right around us."

"What kind of ships?" asked Venture.

"Large ships, over a kilometer long…each," said Nova. "It's six space fortresses!"

"Open fire!" snapped Derek.

Dash fired the ship's main guns at the nearest fortress. To his shock, the plasma bolts just bounced off.

"Super-dense armor," said Sandor. "Just like that Goraizu Fortress we fought a few months ago."

"So what do we do?" asked Eager.

"If there's an opening…we can take advantage of it with…our new wave cartridge system," said Sandor.

"But we haven't tested it yet!" protested Derek.

"Enemy fire…incoming!" cried Nova. "They're all firing at once."

Aboard the lead Gorba Fortress, Grodez smiled as his fleet opened fire on the _Argo_.

Beam after beam of enemy fire blasted against the _Argo_ as the enemy ships began their dirty work.

"Gun turret number two is hit!" said Dash.

"The engine room's been hit," said Yamazaki. "Speed's down ten percent!"

"Mechanical Engineering bloc is hit," said Sandor into his mike as he watched his master damage control readouts. "Port side auxiliary engine is hit! Upper flight bays hit! We can only launch from the lower flight bay now."

"Sandor, analyze those ships to see if we can find an opening to fire the wave cartridges into!" said Wildstar.

"I'm trying…when I find an opening, we'll be able to fire into it."

"And until then?"

"We're just going to have to take it," said Sandor as sweat ran down his face.

"Do you think we'll make it out of this, Derek?" asked Nova.

"I hope we do," said Wildstar. "I hope we do…"

* * *

**III. EARTH STRIKES BACK**

**The Vicinity of Neptune**

**Wednesday April 28, 2202**

**1345 Hours: Earth Time**

* * *

First Fleet had just received the summons to go into action.

On the bridge of the new _Andromeda_, Admiral Falworth sat speaking with Rear Admiral Perulov.

"We've lost the entire Third Fleet, sir," said Perulov. "Spears led them to the end, up until the point where he rammed the enemy flagship with the _Aphrodite_. And we've taken heavy damage ourselves."

"You're still fighting?"

Perulov nodded.

"I see," said Falworth. "Spears was a brave man, like Gideon. He'll be remembered well, if Earth survives this. How are you doing?"

"We're falling back to Triton, sir, but the Technomugar fleet is still advancing, along with just a few of those other black ships they've brought in."

"I see. Hold the line until we get there. We'll be warping away from the Moon Area soon. Send us their coordinates."

"Yessir," said Perulov. A moment later, a map appeared on the _Andromeda_.

"Good," muttered Falworth. "Expect us around XT-225. We'll get them at their blindside from the rear, right around the radar blind spots that Wildstar reported to us after analyzing the results of the battle at Centaurus. Be sure you warp out to starboard as soon as you spot us coming."

"Yessir," said Perulov.

"All ships, stand ready to warp," said Falworth. "When we emerge from warp at XT-225…ready wave motion guns!"

At that, First Fleet warped out.

* * *

"Not bad," said Migdal as he watched his fleet slowly battering the Fifth Fleet. "This'll take some more time, but at least we'll get all of those scum-masters."

"Yes," said Hollander. "Let me know when you begin the final charge upon Earth. I'm going to be warping the Fortress out of the area soon. Let me know if reinforcements are needed."

"Yessir," said Migdal as he faded off the Fortress' main screen.

"Begin warp procedures!" said Hollander aboard the Fortress.

Hollander's crew began to work. One of them panicked a moment later.

"Sir," he said. "The Fortress is refusing to recognize our commands!"

"What?" said Hollander. He ran over to a console and began to tap on some keys himself. "Why is the computer rejecting these commands?" he muttered. "I'll try another node on the network…"

"Same thing?" said Tra'Chariv as he stood there watching.

Then, the main control bridge went dark. Technomugar officers gasped with fear.

Then, all of the control screens went red, and a low, evil laughter was heard over the speakers.

"What?" said Hollander. "The Fortress…is…laughing at us?"

"_No, Hollander_," said a deep voice from out of the speakers. "_I am the one who is laughing at you! And I shall have the last laugh as I am ready to deal with you as you and the other traitors dealt with me!_"

Then, an image came up on the main screen. It was a face.

The face of Ekogaru, as he had appeared before his cyborg body had been scarred. It was a handsome face, but one filled with evil.

"_As you see_," said Ekogaru. "_I have just surpassed the need for a regular cyborg form. My essence is now inside the systems of the Fortress! I still live, even though you have my body lying in state!_"

"Lord…I…we…I did not know," gasped Hollander. "I thought we…we can repair your form…restore you to it…I…"

"_You thought you had killed me? I am not so easy to be rid of! I am now truly immortal! As for my body, let it rot! I have no need for it now! And you shall soon have no need for your bodies_!"

"What do you mean?" asked Hollander.

"_You still need air to support your organic components? I am the Fortress now! It is my new form! I need no air! So, I shall rid myself of this excess mass so I can warp more quickly…and I shall rid myself of you, as well_!"

"No, no!" said Hollander. "Have mercy, Lord! Mercy!"

Ekogaru laughed at his Technomugar crew as they fell to their knees and groveled. _"It is too late. I am taking my vengeance today. First, upon you…and then, upon Earth and that damned Aliscea! I shall soon torment the crew of the Argo with their impotence before my power! Too bad you won't be there to see it!_"

Ekogaru began to laugh like mad.

And then, a moment later, the airlock doors in the Fortress irised open.

Every one of them opened at once. And none of the Technomugar could stop them.

Hollander gasped and struggled to get a spacesuit. But, soon, he and the others were caught in a mighty wind inside the Fortress as the air began to explosively decompress out into space.

Hollander gasped, struggled, and then he fell screaming in the cyclone to his death in open space…as did everyone else aboard the Fortress.

Ten minutes later, the Fortress sat triumphantly in a debris field of the dead, as the unprotected Technomugar and their unprotected slaves lay frozen and dead together in space. A few hundred thousand Technomugar, mostly pilots and technicians, had spacesuits and space armor on, but it was useless to them as the huge volume of air blasted them many megameters out beyond their ships and weapons. Within an hour, they were all dead due to a lack of air. Over six billion Technomugar were now dead…at the hands of their own Leader.

And, in the computers of his Fortress, Ekogaru was now the only survivor. He laughed, and laughed, and laughed.

"_NOW, ONWARDS_!" he raged. "_I shall warp a thousand lightyears as a test…and then…onwards…to the Cape Horn Nebula_!"

* * *

The First Fleet had just warped in.

"So far, sir, they don't seem to be aware of our presence," said the radar officer aboard the _Andromeda_. She scratched her nose and said, "They're not even painting us with any sensors."

"Good," said Falworth. "All capital ships, transfer energy to wave motion guns!"

The energy transfer, and then the lethal energy buildup, began. Fifth Fleet was slowly falling back, reduced now to four space battleships (including the _Scorpio_), five cruisers, and ten destroyers. The rest of Fifth Fleet had been destroyed in the battle with the Technomugar.

"Inform Hollander that we have them and can soon begin landing operations here at the Earth Defense Base," said Migdal.

"Yessir!"

Migdal smiled confidently, but that smile dropped as soon as Ekogaru's face appeared on the screen.

"My Lord," he said. "You…you're…dead!"

"No, _you_ are dead," said Ekogaru with a laugh. "I still live. Your assassination plot didn't work, as I am now inside the Fortress' systems. I transferred my essence into the computers before my body died, you see. But, now, well…you can die, you traitor! And then I shall come to this solar system and laugh over your remains!" Migdal fell to his knees on the deck of his flagship clutching his throat.

"Lord…I…" he gasped.

"As for the rest of you…you are dead, too," said Ekogaru as the crew of the carrier gasped with fear. "Earth has you worsted. And I won't lift a finger to help. Even though that's sort of funny…you see, I have no fingers anymore! Interesting? You can just die there. I won't help you!"

"Why not?" gasped Migdal.

"You are a treasonous bastard, that's why. Now, die!"

An invisible, titanic force snapped Migdal's neck. He fell dead.

"Now, as for the rest of you…"

"Warp!" yelled an officer. "Get us out of here!"

"Too late," mocked Ekogaru.

* * *

"FIRE!" snapped Admiral Falworth.

The First Fleet let loose every one of its wave motion guns. Space was illuminated with a terrible glare not seen in Earth's solar system since the Earth Defense Fleet had attacked the White Comet at Saturn months before.

The tachyon energy flares were bright, terrible, and effective. They blasted towards the combined Technomugar and Black Nebulan fleets like an express train, destroying everything in their path. By design, Falworth's mighty attack missed the remnants of the Fifth Fleet. But, Perulov had ordered every bridge crewman in what remained of his Fleet to put on his or her protective goggles.

It was a good thing he had ordered that, since the space around Neptune was illuminated like a new star for a moment. When the glare faded, nothing was left of the enemy fleet.

Earth, it appeared had won this battle. No more Technomugar or Black Nebulan ships were left alive in the Sol System to report the sudden turn in battle to their scattered peoples. _And, Earth's solar system is finally safe now_, Falworth thought. _We've won this battle! Now, can the _Argo_ defeat that Fortress?_

"Send this message to the Commander," said Falworth. "At 1410 hours, the enemy fleet has been defeated. No enemy survivors left. No need for further action at this time. Seek further orders. Falworth out."

"Yessir," said the comm officer as the bridge crew on the _Andromeda_ began to applaud.

At that, the _Andromeda_ turned, leading her fleet onwards past Triton in a new formation to await whatever Singleton would order…

The feeling throughout First Fleet was good. They had just defeated a major enemy force, without losing a single ship. They were aware that Third Fleet was wiped out, and that Fifth Fleet was badly damaged, but, all in all, they felt as if they had won a great victory.

So far as they knew, they _had_ won a victory.

Falworth would not be able to predict what would happen next…not even in his worst nightmares….

* * *

**IV. HOPE…AND DESOLATION**

**Space Battleship _Argo_**

**The Cape Horn Nebula**

**Wednesday April 28, 2202**

**1412 Hours: Earth Time**

* * *

"All right, we've _got_ them!" said Grodez aboard the lead Gorba as the _Argo _lay smoking in the circle of death with which he had surrounded her. "Prepare to fire heavy missiles! I want this game over with! Finish off that ancient ship!"

"Yessir," said one of his officers.

Grodez sat back and smirked to himself, composing his face as he thought, _I wish Skaldart were alive now to see this. I am about to destroy the legend that defeated Gamilon and that defeated our one-time allies from Gatlantis! This will be a victory that will live forever in the annals of our people and our Technomugar allies! Yes! Come on, little ship. Come on and wait for your doom! _

"Opening ports," said Grodez' exec. "Missiles will be ready to fire in one minute…"

On the _Argo_, Dash was looking up at the nearest Gorba, completely puzzled as where to fire at it.

"Venture, where the heck is there an opening in that thing? Any luck, Nova?"

"I haven't found a thing!" she said at her radar.

"Aliscea?"

"Wait," she said in her typical opaque manner.

"I knew you'd say that," muttered Dash as he looked up. Then, he saw a port opening on the Gorba. Then, one port was followed by two…three…four…

"Wildstar!" he yelled back towards the Captain's station. "Something's opening up!"

"Give your gunners the range and fire the cartridges!" barked Derek.

"Aye, aye, sir," said Dash. "Range, two megameters. Rosstowski, adjust all guns to thirty degrees elevation, correct two degrees to starboard…"

"Got that," said Rosstowski. He worked controls as he said. "Main Turret One! All guns, plus thirty! I'm correcting tracking of the turret two degrees to starboard. Load cartridges!"

"Roger," said a gunner below in gun turret number one. "Locking and loading cartridges…"

The wave motion shells came up from the magazine for the first time and locked into the _Argo's_ forward guns. "All guns ready!"

"FIRE!" said Commodore Wildstar.

"Fire!" repeated Dash.

Turret Number One went off a moment later.

The cartridges blew out of the guns with colorful, fiery orange trails like missiles. A second salvo followed a moment later.

The shells blew right into the open missile ports on the Gorba Fortress.

The result was spectacular. Grodez never got to fire. Instead, his entire ship blew apart in a blue-white explosion as the shells exploded and ripped wave energy through the whole ship.

The _Argo_ fired again at a second Gorba. The result was similar. Soon, energy from the two destroyed Gorba fortresses was blasting apart the other four.

Five minutes later, the _Argo_ was sailing out of a boiling mass of fire and burning gas. She had won the battle that she was not supposed to win.

"What happened?" said Commodore Wildstar. "We did that with _nine_ shells?"

"There was some unexpected effect," said Sandor. "Our energy must react strangely with the energy used by those alien ships. I'm not even sure what powered those monstrosities…yet."

"I'm not sure I want to find out!" said Nova as she wiped her forehead with the back of her hand. "What a battle!"

"Yeah," sighed Venture. "That was a tight spot, all right. But we won…"

"Homer, call up Admiral Yamanami," said Commodore Wildstar. "Let him know that we won…"

"No…not yet," said Aliscea.

"What?" asked a mystified Derek. "Aliscea, what the hell is going on?"

"Ekogaru," she said. "I've just sensed that he's alive. He is three thousand nine hundred lightyears away from here in the Orion area. I know the coordinates. It appears that he has reassumed control of the Fortress."

"Get up and give Venture the coordinates," said Derek. "Homer, beam a quick message to the Admiral…let him know we're in pursuit of Ekogaru."

"And then?" said Homer.

"Then buckle your seat belt and hope for the best!" said Derek.

The klaxons went off as Wildstar said, "All hands, we are about to fight our last battle! The enemy fleet has been destroyed, and Aliscea has spotted the Fortress. I know that we've taken heavy damage…but we can still fight! I want all of you to be ready to do your best in the upcoming battle with the Dark Lord!"

Four minutes passed. "Main engine at 120 percent!" said Yamazaki.

"Course laid in," said Venture.

"I sent that message to Yamanami…he wishes us luck," said Homer.

"All hands are in their warp positions," said Nova from her post.

"We're ready to go," said Sandor.

"_Warp_!" said Derek.

Venture nodded, working the warp lever in silence.

The _Argo_ melted into hyperspace just a moment later.

There was the usual disorientation, the strange feeling of drifting through nothingness and everything all at once…

And then, a moment later, the _Argo_ appeared 3900 lightyears away in the Orion Void, just on the edge of the Orion Galactic Arm, which held Earth.

Sitting there before it was its worst nightmare.

Ekogaru's Grand Fortress…just as strong, huge, and terrible as ever.

"Message from Ekogaru!" said Homer.

A moment later, the hated Dark Lord's face appeared on the _Argo's_ main screen.

"Welcome, Wildstar. I am sure you know me," hissed Ekogaru.

"I do," said Derek. "Are you prepared to turn back from Earth, or are you ready to do battle now?"

"I shall do _neither_," said Ekogaru. "I was about to head to Earth to test my systems on one of the planets of your solar system before destroying your planet. It's too bad that you can't stop me now. Your planet's fate is now sealed. You are about to die!"

"Not if we can do anything about it!" said Wildstar. "Venture, maneuver us towards the Phased Density Cannon. We're going to…"

"Look!" cried Nova.

Before their eyes, the Fortress began to fade away in a terrible orange flare of light,

"He's warped!" said Venture.

"What a spot!" snapped Derek.

* * *

In the meantime, at Brumus base, all was quiet….

"This is Brumus base," said a bored Marine officer as he reported in. "It is now fourteen-thirty. All is quiet. No enemy contacts. No signals intercepted. Nothing further to report."

"Good," said General Stone on a speaker. "It looks as if you missed all of the action that just took place at Neptune. Continue your watch."

"Yessir," said the Marine officer. When the signal clicked off, he said, "Damned old walrus."

"Sir, what's that light in the sky?"

"_What_ light, Sergeant?" yawned the bored Marine Lieutenant. "Nothing's gonna happen here!"

At that, there was a massive groundquake that began to shake down the computer monitors in the newly rebuilt Marine base on Brumus.

"What the…?" said the Lieutenant. "Sparky, call up Earth! Let them know…"

The radio operator opened the switch.

* * *

Back on the _Argo_, Derek looked at Aliscea in a startled fashion as she grabbed his hand.

"Luckily, I know where he's going," said Aliscea.

"Where?" demanded Derek.

"Your eleventh planet. Brumus."

"Warp us right to Brumus!" said Derek. "Yamazaki, take off all overrides."

"It'll be dangerous," said the engineer.

"Do it! Earth's fate may depend upon it!"

"Aye, aye, Captain," said Yamazaki.

"All hands, prepare for a second space warp!" said Venture.

* * *

"Sir!" said an officer in Earth Defense Headquarters as he grabbed Singleton by his sleeve. The Commander had ordered the headquarters staff back to the regular above-ground headquarters complex in the Megalopolis just a short while ago. Singleton and Stone had just arrived back

"What is it?" asked the Commander.

"Something coming in from Brumus. They're pretty spooked, sir."

A moment later, sirens began to go off. "Sir! First fleet has just reported a wave of gravitational force that has scattered them across the solar system!"

"Fifth Fleet is reporting that the space battleship _Nigeria_ has just been sucked into an interphase of some type!"

"Second Fleet is reporting the loss of the cruiser _Volga_…it seems to have tumbled into some type of hole in space!"

"The Astrophysics Unit has just reported that an object with the mass of the Earth has just warped into the Brumus orbit!"

"Here on Earth, Philadelphia has just reported an earthquake! Independence Park rangers have just reported that the preserved Liberty Bell has just tumbled into a crack in the Earth!"

_It survived the Gamilon War, but Earth has just lost it now?_ thought Stone. _This is insane!_

_He's come, _thought Singleton_. My God, Aliscea was right. It's the Dark Lord!_

"Sir! Brumus is calling in again!" yelled an officer. "They have a visual on…whatever it is…"

"Put them on visual," said the Commander.

* * *

"Let them know what?" he asked just as the cloudy sky on Brumus suddenly glowed livid green.

"Earth Defense Command…something weird is going on here at Brumus," said the Lieutenant. "Radar's just picked up something…the size of a planet….and…"

The signal from Brumus went out in Defense Headquarters, with the image replaced with one of the small planet, taken from outside.

Fire blasted over the whole planet a moment later, and, as the Marines began to die, the last thing they saw was a black moon festooned with lights appearing in the sky.

Brumus then glowed green as the planet began to break up. Then it glowed red, and then livid yellow as the small, rocky planet was abruptly destroyed, with most of its substance sucked into a hole in space a moment later. Only some asteroids were left, blasting away from the site of the planet in a new swarm of asteroids.

Then, a second later, the image of empty space blinked out, replaced by an image of a sneering, evil face with a mustache.

"I assume you are Commanding General Charles Singleton?" said the deep voice.

"I am. Who are you?"

"I am Ekogaru the Great. Bow down and worship me, and I might let planet Earth _live_. My Fortress is now in your solar system. And where is your _great_ space battleship _Yamato_, Singleton? Is that hunk of scrap _still_ looking for us? A hunk of scrap, filled with the ghosts of defeated warriors! I spit on your stupid race, Singleton! May it soon die a well-deserved death!"

"She is searching for you, no doubt," said Singleton in a remarkable display of courage in spite of his fear as everyone else in Defense Headquarters went pale. "And do not say that name with scorn! The _Yamato_ was an honorable ship, and she still serves proudly…as…"

"Then why did your people change her name?" hissed Ekogaru. "Aren't you ashamed of her past?"

"Not now," said Singleton, as he thought, _Avatar, forgive me…but I can't let him mock her any more_. Singleton typed a set of characters on his console and hit the "Enter" key. "The _Yamato_ was originally re-named the _Argo_ by Captain Avatar, one of our heroes, for the Quest for Iscandar, after a legendary ship known as the _Argo_. But, as of now, since you choose to scorn Earth's warriors of the ages, I have renamed the _Argo_ the _Yamato_, in memory of the warriors of all of the ages who have fought for their homelands here on Earth, and who shall fight for our homeland against _you_!"

"Nice gesture, but it won't stop me," said Ekogaru. "I hope you are ready to die."

"I hope _you _are," said Singleton. "Stone, cut him off! And get me Wildstar! _Now_!"

"Yessir," said Stone in a very subdued voice.

* * *

**_To Be Continued with Act Five: "The Final Crescendo"_**

* * *

**_EKOGARU HAS ARRIVED IN EARTH'S SOLAR SYSTEM…IS THIS THE END?_**

* * *


	5. Chapter 5

**ALTERNATE TALES OF THE STAR FORCE**

**STAR BLAZERS****---****RAGNAROK**

**Being the eleventh and final part of THE RIKASHA INCIDENT--- BY: Frederick P. Kopetz**

* * *

**ACT FIVE: THE FINAL CRESCENDO**

* * *

**I. PREPARING FOR THE FINAL CONFRONTATION**

**Space Battleship _Yamato_**

**Earth's Solar System**

**The Brumus/Minerva Asteroid Belt**

**Wednesday April 28, 2202**

**1500 Hours: Earth Time**

* * *

Even through her crew was as of yet unaware of Singleton's abrupt name change from _Argo_ to _Yamato_…well, the newly renamed, battered, but still-proud Earth space battleship _Yamato_ tumbled out of warp where Brumus should have been. She found…nothing but an asteroid field where a planet should have been.

"Wildstar!" said Dash. "We're taking asteroid hits!"

The _Yamato_ shook badly as she was battered by hit after hit. The ship finally came out of the swarm with dents and tears in her hull and armor plate.

Then, the worst thing of all happened. The very substance of time-space opened up, and a terrible blast of some unknown energy blasted out straight at the _Yamato_.

"Evade!" said Derek.

Venture worked hard to shift _Yamato_ over. She just barely avoided the energy beam.

"What the hell was _that_?" said Commodore Wildstar.

"Some kind of interphase nearby," said Sandor. "The proximity of that energy charge damaged our main engine. Another near-hit like that, and it'll burn out altogether."

"No…it _can't_!" said Venture as he slammed his fists against his board.

"It can," said Yamazaki grimly.

"And there's no Brumus nearby," added Sandor.

"What?" said Derek. "Nova, scan the area, shouldn't this _be_ Brumus?"

"Scanning," she said as she put her safety harness back on; the ship was slamming around like a bucking bronco. "I'm picking up radiation, lots of asteroids, and the remnants of an interspacial interphase…_no Brumus_!"

"Did we miswarp?" asked Paul Rosstowski.

"We went right to the proper coordinates for Brumus," said Venture. "Look at the astro-compass!"

"No," said Aliscea as she stood up. "This is HIS work," she said in an angry voice.

"Whose work?" said Homer.

"The Dark Lord's work!" she yelled. "Commodore Wildstar, Ekogaru has just arrived in your star system. He has destroyed yuor eleventh planet, Planet Brumus. The final struggle is at hand!"

"Are you ready?" asked Nova.

"Yes," said Aliscea. "We're ready."

"We?" said Nova, who felt very tired.

"Yes, you and I," she said.

"Message from the Commander," said Homer. "Odd…it's for us, but it's marked as being for the _Yamato_!"

"This ship isn't named the _Yamato_ anymore," said Wildstar, who stood perplexed as Singleton's image came up on the screen. He walked over towards the screen, taking off his peacoat and leaving it at his post on the way over to Dash's post next to Venture.

"Sir? How bad is it?" said Wildstar.

"I'm sure you've found out about Brumus," said the Commander.

"Yes, we have," said Wildstar. "We're…near the asteroid belt where it was."

"Ekogaru did this."

"I know. Where is he, sir?"

"He's just performed a warp. Right now, his ship is being tracked near the Mars region. We think he'll be near Earth in an hour and a half, at his current speed."

"We'll meet him, sir."

"Is _Yamato_ ready to do it?" asked Singleton.

"You've renamed her?"

The Commander nodded. "I did it, Wildstar...as a sign of defiance to Ekogaru. I spoke to him personally when he called in to mock us. He said that your ship was unworthy of anything but the scrapyard. I explained to him how Avatar had renamed her, but he began to mock the fighting spirit of Earth and her past warriors and said that your ship had a losing record. That's when I renamed her, Commodore…on my own authority. I hope you will understand."

Derek stood silent for a moment. _It seems to fit, somehow,_ he thought. "I understand, sir," he replied. "The _Yamato _will be ready to fight on and stop him…even if…it might be a suicide mission like the old battleship's last sortie. Where's the rest of the Fleet?"

"Scattered," said the Commander. "There were great gravitational disturbances each time that he warped. The whole Fleet has been blown across the Solar System like dandelion seeds in a wind. I think he did it deliberately…so there couldn't be a Fleet sortie right away. That will be up to you, now."

At that, Aliscea stood beside Wildstar for a moment. "We _will_ stop him, sir. If it's the last thing I do. I'm finally ready. The Pellian War ends here…_today_."

"Thank you," said the Commander. The picture shook for a moment. "We're having groundquakes and storms here on Earth, now…many thousands have died already thanks to the approach of that Fortress. Things are not good here now. When you call in again, let it be with good news…the news of Ekogaru's end."

At that, the screen filled with static and the Commander's image went out.

"It's up to us, now," said Venture.

"I know," said Derek. "I had a feeling that, in the end, it would always be up to…us."

Aliscea took Wildstar aside and whispered to him. No one else heard what was said, but when Derek turned to the crew again, his face was grim and set.

"Venture, warp the ship to KL-195, fifty thousand megameters away from Earth," said Derek. "Aliscea says that's where we have to… confront him at."

"Warping will be chancy with that engine damage," said Sandor.

"But…we _have_ to do it!" said Derek. "If the engine goes in the attempt…she goes…"

"If we hit him at that point, he can be stopped," said Aliscea.

"We're hitting him with the wave motion gun?" said Paul.

"Yes, partially," said Aliscea. Then, she looked at Nova. "This battle will not be fought entirely with weapons. To beat him, he must be defeated on his _own ground_…the astral plane…first. You and I will do that together…I will take up the battle, and you will be my second, ready to take up the struggle if I fall."

"What do you mean?" said Nova. "I…I'm not ready for something like that."

"You are," she said as she began to leave the bridge. "Remember that ritual we went through?"

"Yes…?"

"That was its whole purpose. If I can't beat him, _you_ will have to do it. Now, excuse me while I get ready in prayer and meditation. I suggest that you do the same, as quietly as possible, at your post."

"Aliscea?" said Paul.

"Paul, I love you, I respect you, but you cannot do this with me. Listen to your Captain when he gives you the orders you will have to follow. This will be a very dangerous task…and a very dark one. Wildstar, I would like to meet with you in your cabin…alone…with just you and Nova. We have much to discuss."

At that, Aliscea left.

Wildstar looked at Nova. "Nova," he said.

"Yes?"

"Come with me. I need to tell you everything Aliscea said. You need to hear her final instructions in our quarters. Venture, you take command. We'll be in our quarters, but we'll be back very soon."

"Yessir."

* * *

The three of them sat around the small table in the quarters that Derek and Nova had shared for a time that felt like an eternity, even though the two of them had only been married for a little over four months now.

Finally, Aliscea said, "It may seem hard, Commodore Wildstar, but Paul cannot assist me now."

"Why not?"

"He would feel what could well be my death too keenly. I wish to have him away from me and I have slowly weakened our link, even though I have not cut it off. That can only happen if we divorce or one of us dies. However, you and Nova must be together for what will happen next…you must join forces with your love to attack Ekogaru and his Fortress with the wave motion gun. However, this must be done aided by my power and the Power that comes through me, and Ekogaru must be weakened in psychic battle first. I am sending this information to my mother now so that Desslok does not attempt an attack."

"Desslok?" said Derek.

"Yes. He means to attack the Fortress himself. He must not do so. It would only risk his life without need."

"I see," said Commodore Wildstar.

"It is important that you are there to help Nova fire the wave gun. I sense that you two must act together to stop him while I enhance the systems of your ship."

"The engine's not in the best of shape," said Derek. "We're pretty well damaged."

"You will be needed after she and I are done and after we return."

"After we're done?' said Nova. "Where are we going, Aliscea?"

"Our bodies will remain on the ship, but I will take you with me astrally as my second to help fight Ekogaru on his own ground…a sort of "virtual reality" within the Dark Lord's systems…for he and his accursed Fortress are now one. If I am about to fall, I will transfer the Pellian Matrix to you. Then, in turn, you will have to take up the fight."

"I see," said Nova.

"Commodore," said Aliscea.

"Yes?"

"Our bodies must be on the bridge but protected while we are out of them. We must be kept safe, even though, to your eyes, we may appear to be comatose or dead for a time. I can reverse that state when we return, or if my essence dies in there, I can pass my power to Nova, who can then resuscitate herself from the trance she will be in. The Matrix will show her how, even though she would then have to let it help her power the wave motion gun. Is that understood?"

Nova slowly nodded. Derek also nodded. "I don't believe this," he said.

"Me neither," said Nova.

"You have to believe. It will work," said Aliscea. "Remember…there is a hope…there _is_ a future. You just have to believe. Remember the words of the inspired wise men from your past? '_...Faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see..._'"

"Thank you, Aliscea," said Nova. "I remember those words well."

"Yes?"

Nova was very quiet. "Aliscea, I was just thinking them myself."

* * *

**II. HATRED**

**Virtual Space**

**The Grand Technomugar Fortress**

**The Vicinity of Mars**

**Wednesday April 28, 2202**

**1532 Hours: Earth Time**

* * *

Ekogaru the Great, who was now nothing but a dark essence in his Fortress' computer systems, sat in vengeful, hateful meditation as the Fortress majestically sailed past Mars, creating great dust storms and groundquakes on the small red planet in his wake. Many thousands of EDF officers, men, and civilian spacers and technicians would die on the Red Planet as a result of the Dark Lord's sickening, fury-filled passage as the cosmic madman raced relentlessly towards Earth with destruction and vengeance on his mind.

The Dark One brooded upon his recent humiliations and defeats as he began to power up the Phased Density Cannon for what would be his people's most luscious "meal" in a long time…the destruction of the Planet Earth.

"Many of you still live on in the Blackeye Galaxy, and are faithful to Me and have sworn your unending allegiance today," said the Dark Lord in a comm message that came straight from the Fortress' systems. "Do not be like these traitors…people who stabbed me in the back as they feigned loyalty!"

Ekogaru then recreated a scene that the Fortress' systems had captured even as his body lay dying…even as he had just passed into the machinery of his Fortress like a malign ghost.

_"You still want me to go to Cape Horn Nebula?"_

_"Yes, we need to fight the Terrans to cover our departure from this galaxy," said Hollander. Then, he looked around. "Does anyone object to my being our new Lord?"_

_Tra'Chariv took Ekogaru's cloak off the body and threw it over Hollander's shoulders. "Hail, Second Lord of the Technomugar, Hollander the Great."_

_The others cheered Hollander as he walked about to a microphone. "Attention, all hands," he said. "There was an explosion in the central meeting chamber. It was caused by a leftover from the Gamilon attack of yesterday. Ekogaru the Great fell shielding us from the blast. He is dead. He passed power to me before he died. Remember our first Lord as a great martyr, and let him rest in peace. We shall soon change course, but only after Migdal's fleet and the fleets of our allies teach Earth a lesson at the Cape Horn Nebula. We are heading back home for repairs. Someday, we shall return. But, now is not the day. Not yet. We shall rule this Galaxy, though, even if it takes us…a thousand years!"_

"We shall still do so," said Ekogaru. "But now, that will be under _my_ leadership, _alone!_ I should have taken full command myself long ago! It was foolish of me to have left such an important matter to others! But, at last, I shall demolish Earth, and I shall personally grind the Star Force of Earth and their ship, the _Yamato_, back into the dust from whence she came!"

"Behold this scene!" said Ekogaru as he called forth from Earth's computer systems some images of the _Yamato_ rising anew from the dust in 2199 when she first rose under Avatar's command to fight a Gamilon carrier. "Look at this foolish piece of junk! She rises from the dust, but I shall return her _back_ to the dust of the Terrans' Pacific Ocean right before I destroy the Planet Earth! She shall go into the dust of the sea, dust that will become the grave of her crew! I am waiting for this! _Waiting!_ Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!"

The Dark Lord picked up a transmission a moment later. "An approaching Fleet? Oh! This should be amusing," he said in reply to the transmission. "Let's see who _this_ is!"

Ekogaru let the image of a proud blue-skinned face with blond hair form in his systems. "Desslok of Gamilon! _Ah!_ I am so pleased to see you and your Fleet!"

"You shouldn't be," said Desslok on the bridge of the _Gamilstadt_. "I've come here to finish you off!"

"Perhaps you should hold off," said Astrena, who came slowly onto the bridge holding Desslok's son swaddled in blankets. "I'm sorry to be here so soon, but…well…"

"You're finished?"

Astrena nodded. "The labor was difficult, and I'm in much pain, but I am able to walk only because I healed the needed muscles with my power. Behold your son. I have named him Dellar, as we agreed."

Desslok smiled, looking at his son, who had been washed but was clad in nothing but warm black blankets. His officers and men paused to look at the new Heir to the Gamilon throne.

"He's beautiful," said an officer as Desslok began to unwrap him.

"It looks like he'll be strong," said Talan.

"Little brat," said Ekogaru over the screen.

"How dare you mock my Heir?" snapped Desslok. "Talan, I must Recognize him. Turn that screen off!"

"Yessir!" The screen went black for a minute. Assured of some privacy, Desslok then finished stripping his son of all of his blankets and he held him unprotected for the first time, bonding with his son as he looked over every feature of his little blue body from his toes to his dark eyes.

"I like his face," said another officer.

"Yes, he looks as if he'll be intelligent, like his father," said Keeling.

Desslok smiled. He then held the tiny infant up to the windows so he could behold the stars. "Behold, Dellar! The cosmos! The only thing greater than yourself! You are my son, and heir, this day. Behold the next Emperor of the Gamilon-Garuman Empire!" cried Desslok.

"Behold our next Leader!" cried the men.

Dellar looked at the officers…for a moment, he almost seemed to have his father's sense of regal command in his eyes. Then, unprotected, he whimpered just like any other baby who happened to be cold.

"He's shivering," said Astrena. "Let's wrap him up, Desslok."

Both of them worked together to wrap their son, covering his little hands, his chest, his fingers, his toes, and his stomach.

"Now, we shall attack," said Desslok softly. "Take him to safety."

"Hold off, Desslok! We need to protect your son…Dellar, as well as the rest of your Fleet! Perhaps we shouldn't do this?"

"Astrena, please take our son back to our quarters. I intend to follow through with this attack."

"Against my advice," added Astrena softly. "Perhaps this should be left to my daughter."

"Sir," said an officer. "The Dark Lord wishes to continue his conversation!"

"Video screen _on_!" said Desslok. "Let him prattle a while longer. He might tell us what sort of funeral he desires when we finish him!"

"Oh? Why not let _Earth_ do it, Desslok?" mocked Ekogaru. "As for you, Astrena, you remain _silent_! I have heard your whining quite enough. Ever since Pellias, all you have done is yak, yak, _yak_ at me! This is between _men_ now, you foolish woman!"

"Interesting, since it appears that you have no body and are a virtual image," said Desslok. "Weren't you dead?"

"I was, but I have conquered death!"

"As have I…_before_ you," said Desslok, as he thought back to how Zordar had brought him back to life to fight the Star Force. "I am far from impressed."

"I am only trying to save his life and the lives of his people," said Astrena. "There is a time for physical combat, but right now, it is pointless!"

Desslok looked quietly at his Empress. "Astrena, do you understand me so little? This is a matter of _honor_. My honor has been insulted by this madman's rape of my ally, Earth. He has insulted me by striking at my allies and friends."

Astrena stood in thought for a moment.

Finally, she turned to Desslok and said, "I apologize. This time, Aliscea may be wrong. Your courage may well prevail. I know you need not my permission, but I am willing to not argue with you any longer. We are lovers and allies. I will defer to your judgment now, Desslok."

"Thank you, Astrena," said Desslok. Then, he faced Ekogaru again. "Ekogaru. You've scattered their Fleet, and I'd like to help Wildstar by blowing you right back to where you came from!" The hum of the Desslok Cannon's charging filled the bridge of the _Gamilstadt_. "He has aided us several times…so, this attack will go right into your fabled Phased Density Cannon to finish you. Do you _like_ that? We will end it now, you vile and uncivilized barbarian!"

"As you once said, Desslok, go ahead and fire the gun! I'm most anxious to see what your great weapon can do, so…fire it!"

"I'll try to protect our son," said Astrena pathetically. "Do you want me to leave now?" she said in a very tired voice.

The Gamilon shook his head. He suddenly felt very guilty. "I'm sorry, Astrena…I should have been able to send you off the ship to keep you and our son safe, but…this is our best chance to finish him…so…"

Astrena braced herself, thinking, _Maybe he will do it…maybe he will win…_as Desslok fired his Cannon.

The Desslok gun's energy blasted out of the _Gamilstadt's_ muzzle, straight into the throat of the Phased Density Cannon. For a moment, nothing seemed to happen.

Then, a moment later, a huge blast of energy and gravitational force blasted out of the Fortress like a sickening halo. The _Gamilstadt_ was tossed and battered like a leaf as Astrena went to her knees, trying as best as she could to protect the little blue-skinned newborn Gamilon Heir that she held.

And, just as the _Gamilstadt_ was tossed far away from the battle scene, the same…or worse, happened to Desslok's Fleet. Gamilon ships were destroyed or scattered everywhere like bowling pins as Ekogaru sent his laughter over their comm circuits.

"_Hahahaha_ See what your Great Leader can do for you now? Nothing! It is _hopeless! _This will help me when I inform Earth of how hopeless their situation is! Not even _Yamato_ can stop me, now! I have truly become…a God!"

* * *

On the _Gamilstadt_, which was now cast towards the edge of the asteroid belt, control had been regained at last.

"Leader Desslok, we've taken damage," said Talan.

Desslok was kneeling on the deck, checking Astrena and Dellar. "Are both of you all right?"

"Yes…shaken…but…we're fine," said Astrena. Dellar cried softly in her arms, but, under her dress, Astrena's bare legs were bruised…she had fallen against a panel protecting their son with her own body. "I hope there's no glass here…these shoes are history, as the Terrans say," said Astrena as she slipped off her broken sandals and cast them aside with a loud snap.

Dellar began to scream, frightened at the sudden noise.

"My son…" said Desslok softly.

"If it's all right with you, I shall take him to our quarters. He must be interfering with your concentration, and I think he's hungry." said Astrena. "I don't think your men want to see him at my breast here."

"Not my son…"

"But you need to get your ship working and regather your Fleet…don't you? In case…you need to attack _HIM_ again?"

Desslok nodded. Then, he stood up, both proud and defiant in the face of adversity. His cape swung regally around him as he stood, once again in command of himself, even though it was not easy. "Talan, begin a search for the fleet!"

"Yessir," replied his General and best friend.

Astrena closed her eyes. "Then, Desslok, I shall leave."

"What about Aliscea?"

"I am in touch with her," said Astrena. "She is preparing the final attack…for all of our sakes. I hope she will succeed, but I am prepared to die with you. I am very weak as it is. As I said before, my labor was difficult. And…by the way, her planned successor is not Starsha. I should have confided in you more."

"Who is it?"

"A Terran woman. One you trust. The only one you respect…."

Comprehension came to Desslok's mind at last. "I see. What a heavy burden for her to face…"

"We shall meet again…soon," said Astrena.

She and Desslok embraced gently, with both of them cuddling their son before she left. As she left, tears ran down her face.

_How do I tell him,_ she thought, _that I know now that I will probably be dead from natural causes or assassinated within six years and will never see our son grow up? I have just foreseen it…and I think it will come to pass…sadly._

_Because, even though I do not always understand you…I _do_ love you, Desslok, my impetuous, proud Emperor!_

* * *

**III. DESPAIR**

**Earth**

**The Underground Tokyo Megalopolis**

**Wednesday April 28, 2202**

**1541 Hours: Earth Time**

* * *

On Earth, despair filled a main assembly chamber of the underground version of the Megalopolis as the people of Earth beheld Desslok's defeat and humiliation on the great screens that were connected to the planet's recon satellite system.

"The Gamilons have been _beaten_ by that thing?"

"Desslok couldn't do a damn thing against that!"

"It was just a trick…he's still out to get us!"

"Screw the so-called alliance!"

"Alliance with whom? Someone who loses?"

"What's going to happen to us?" cried a woman as the crowd grew panicky.

"What's happened to the Star Force?"

"Maybe they were blown away with the Fleet?"

"Wildstar might really be dead!"

"Yeah…him _and_ Desslok!"

Cries of anger and despair resounded throughout the vast underground concourse as an EDF Officer yelled through a bullhorn "_Remain calm! The High Command is in contact with the _Argo_, which has just been renamed _Yamato_ for this battle. One more attack is planned_!"

"_When?_" yelled someone.

"They'd better do it quick!" someone else yelled. "He's about to wipe out the planet!"

Then, the ground shook underground. People screamed and yelled as the panicking group of people practically turned into a mob. But then, the mob was still by a stentorian voice that resounded over the entire planet.

"_Silence!_" roared the deep voice, which came like thunder. "_I said, SILENCE! Or I shall bring down the final blow now_!"

The crowd, cowed into silence, listened in shock as the Voice spoke at once to the people of Earth.

In Arabia, he was heard in Arabic.

In Russia, he was heard in Russian.

In South America, he was heard in Spanish or Portuguese.

In Japan, he was heard in Japanese, English, or Korean, or any one of many languages, depending upon the listener's first language. But, the message was the same.

The Voice said, "_People of Earth! This is Ekogaru the Great, your executioner. I was to be your ruler, but I will have you know that, in their defiance, your precious Star Force has wiped out any hope you might have had for survival, even as my slaves. I have grown weary with your race's…defiance…and resistance to my Will. You are worse than the Pellians or the Gamilons! You just do not know when to give up_!"

There was a terrible pause. Then, the Dark Lord said, "_You have one of your hours to make peace with your deity…deities…or take solace in whatever you believe in…because, it is now 3:45 PM in your Tokyo Megalopolis. At precisely 4:45 PM this day, or 1645 Hours….your planet shall be finished…and your race along with it! I would love to hear you pray for salvation…a salvation that shall never come. It shall never come because YOU are finished! This is the last word I have to say to your race. I hope you enjoy your doom! **Goodbye**_!"

Inside His Fortress, the Dark Lord's essence said, "Now, it begins. I shall slowly…slowly…prepare the Phased Density Cannon. In fifty-eight of their minutes they are gone! O, this will be the most satisfying meal I have had in ages! The fear on Earth is so great! Let us see what Aliscea can do against this…_now!_"

* * *

**IV. FAREWELL**

**Space Battleship _Yamato_**

**The Vicinity of Earth**

**Wednesday April 28, 2202**

**1549 Hours: Earth Time**

* * *

The _Yamato_ had just made her last space warp soon after Wildstar and Nova had returned to the First Bridge. She wavered into existence right before Ekogaru's Fortress like a ghost of defiance.

"Warp complete!" said Venture.

At that, the main bridge went dark. "Emergency systems!" said Wildstar.

Yamazaki flipped some switches. "All I have left is battery power…the main engine's dead!"

"So, then…" said Derek as he got up from his post.

He looked his bridge crew over one by one. "We are here. Hoping against hope, I still think that we can bring down that thing. However, it will be very dangerous. I have conferred with Aliscea…only she, myself, and Nova are needed aboard _Yamato_ to finish this."

Derek paused. "I want the rest of you to abandon ship. _Now_."

"We ain't leaving you now!" said Eager.

"Wildstar…have you lost your mind?" said Sandor.

"That's crazy, Wildstar!" said Dash.

"You can't do it without _us_!" said Yamazaki.

"We're staying here to help you!" said Homer.

"I'm _not_ leaving!" said Rosstowski, who was behind Wildstar.

Derek spoke in a low voice. "My friends…this is an order!"

"We're not obeying it!" said Homer.

"I'm not leaving without Nova," burbled IQ-9.

Derek looked at his crew. "We have no time for this! Venture, as First Officer, make sure they carry it out. We don't have much time left until the end of Earth!"

"Why are you ordering this?" said Venture.

"Yeah, why?" said Paul. "Aliscea, why can't I stay with you?"

"You know why," said Aliscea. "It's because we might never come back."

Silence filled the bridge. Paul silently turned away from his wife with a nod…she had spoken to him through their bond, and he understood all that needed to be understood between them.

He couldn't face her, not now. He also knew that she was about to fulfill the reason that she had come back to Earth with them.

_If you live,_ he thought. _We will have a marriage._

_But if not?_ Aliscea sent back.

_Then, I will only have a memory,_ he thought in despair. "But, I know it must be this way," he said out loud in a shaky voice.

"That's right," said Derek. "Aliscea told me that shortly before we warped. When I took Nova aside, I asked her if she really wanted to share our possible fate. She said she did."

"Why?" said Venture.

"Because I'm one of you," said Nova. "I am ready to take the same risks that you take, and I am ready to stand beside Derek, because he is my commanding officer and my husband, and to stand beside Aliscea, because she said she needs me to help her. I can't shirk this duty, not _now!_ And, if we're going to die, at least…let Derek and I go together. You understand that, don't you? I'd love for us to win…without dying. But, if we're going to die…you don't have to follow us. Take Holly, Mark, and go enjoy the new life that our sacrifice will bring, if we die...if we die…at least we will have accomplished _something_ with our lives. Our lives, short as they may have been would at least have meaning…in giving everything we have for Earth…just like Desslok gave up almost everything he had for Gamilon."

"Like Desslok?" said Dash. "That cold blue bastard?"

"I'm sorry," said Nova with a sob. "I don't think you'll _ever_ understand him, Dash…not even partially. He's not cold! He's as human as we are! Maybe more. We have more in common with him than you can ever guess."

"Yes…if you die," said Mark in a hollow voice.

"But _I_ personally think that we're going to live," said Nova with a smile. "We'll see you guys again, I think. Besides…I need your help to fix my front yard?"

Mark smiled a little, and he took Nova's hands. "Goodbye, Mark," she said softly as she hugged him. "Tell Holly I'll be at her wedding, okay?"

"Okay, Nova!" said Mark in a husky voice. Then, on the verge of tears, he turned to Commodore Wildstar.

"Derek, _goodbye_," said Mark as he took his hand.

"Mark, good luck. We'll meet again…at Heroes' Hill."

"When?"

"On a day just before the sun sets…maybe today…maybe some other day," Derek said softly. "We'll be there with you guys…in body…or…in spirit."

"Good luck, Wildstar," sobbed Mark.

"Thanks, we'll need it."

They shook hands for a moment, and then Wildstar turned away.

"All hands," said Venture into the PA system. "This is the Deputy Captain. Please gather at the lower fighter bay. All hands will be taken off the ship in the remaining Cosmo Tigers, landing boats, and shuttles. That will be all. We will meet again on Earth…at Heroes' Hill…after we land."

Then, at that, Mark left the _Yamato's_ First Bridge.

He was not sure he would ever return…and in a sense, he would be right.

The Wheel of Life was about to move on for Venture.

* * *

The crew left in a subdued, quiet manner once Venture gathered them together in the messhall and told them what had to be done.

The evacuation was orderly, military, and very quiet.

Hardy was the last Black Tiger to fly off the ship. As he flew away, he looked down at the _Yamato_ with tears forming in his eyes.

_I spent so much of my life here,_ he thought. _And now, I don't know if I'll ever see her again or not. Farewell, Wildstah. Farewell, Nova. You two were…two of my best friends. I hope we make it…even if you guys don't._

Composing himself for the flight home, he drew himself together, forced a smile, and said, "Venture, I've got the surviving Tigers. Here we go!"

"Where are we goin?" asked Bryan Hartcliffe.

"Home. We'll land at Idlewild Field in the Megalopolis."

"Roger," said Bryan.

"Got it," said Tatiana. "_Dasivadnya, Yamato_."

"Yes…_Dasivadnya_," said Hardy to himself. "Farewell…"

Everyone else left the _Yamato_ in various shuttles; either medical shuttles, jet recon boats, or the single leftover Marine landing craft. The last to leave happened to be the bridge crew, led by Venture. They left in a Medical shuttle with all of the viewports thrown open, so that they could stop, pause, and salute Derek, Nova, and Aliscea before they left. There wasn't a single dry eye on that shuttle when they cruised around the ship and then left her behind as they headed back to Earth.

"Goodbye, Wildstar," said Venture. "And…good luck."

Behind him, Holly sobbed quietly as the shuttle accelerated for home.

Thus, at 1605 Hours, Derek, Nova and Aliscea were left alone.

"Well?" said Derek aboard the _Yamato_. "Aliscea, the ship is dead!"

"Not quite," she said.

Aliscea glanced towards the astro-compass, and, to Derek and Nova's surprise, she was surrounded with winking orange lights…and all of the bridge systems began to blink back to life on the darkened First Bridge.

"Let's go," said Aliscea.

Derek stood in silence. "Yes, Aliscea, let's go. Nova, take your place at the radar. I'll fly her."

"Understood," said Nova. She sat down at the radar as the main engine somehow roared back to life below them. Aliscea sat down at Engineering and said, "Energy is at one hundred percent."

"Ahead, half-speed," said Derek.

He flipped the throttle back.

At that, the _Yamato_ began to move.

They had forty minutes left to destroy Ekogaru.

Forty minutes left to save the human race.

* * *

**V. INTO THE FUNHOUSE OF EKOGARU**

**Space Battleship _Yamato_**

**The Vicinity of Earth**

**Wednesday April 28, 2202**

**1606 Hours: Earth Time**

* * *

On the _Yamato_, Commodore Wildstar still sat at the helm flying the ship while Nova remained at the radar and Aliscea sat at Engineering. He looked back at Nova and gave a thumbs-up. "She's flying great."

"Wonderful," said Nova with a smile. "Somehow, I think we have a chance."

"Stop her right here…we're right between the Phased Density Cannon and Earth," said Aliscea.

Derek nodded, not used to having his ship commanded by another. "Full stop," he said.

The _Yamato_ stopped. They were right before the Fortress.

"Now?" said Derek as he turned his chair around.

"Now, we need quiet," said Aliscea. Not used to the strange silence, Commodore Wildstar sat watching as Aliscea closed her eyes. "Nova, think of my voice and shut your eyes."

"Done," said Nova softly.

"Commodore, I am putting myself in accord with your wife. We may seem to fall dead or unconscious for a bit, but…we still live. We shall leave here in spirit, and go in to face Ekogaru."

At that moment, the _Yamato's_ main screen lit up. Ekogaru's face was on it. "You idiots," he hissed. "Do you think you can stop me? How pathetic. I'll let you live…for another thirty-nine of your minutes, that is. Your Earth shall soon be dead, and you'll go first."

"Ignore him, Nova, Derek," said Aliscea. "Ekogaru! We are coming for you!" she cried. "Nova, it is time. Think of making a passage…think of me…think of defeating the Dark One…think of…life."

At that moment, Nova went limp. It looked startlingly as if she had had a heart attack and died at her post.

"Nova!" cried Derek.

Then, strangest of all, he heard Nova's voice in his mind.

_I'm fine, Derek. Aliscea just sent me out first._ Derek ran over to her limp body anyway. _My body's fine…I think._

_Ekogaru, here we come,_ said Aliscea's voice in Derek's mind where Wildstar held Nova's limp hand.

Aliscea also went limp and "dead" in her seat.

Derek looked up at the screen, and saw a look of shock and dismay on the virtual Ekogaru's face.

_That looks good,_ he thought with a grim smile. _I think they're doing something in there that's upsetting him!_ He then held Nova's limp hand again. _Nova, get back in here…safe! _He felt her pulse at her neck…it was very, very slow and weak. _I don't want you to die for real, my love…_

Derek received no answer. Perplexed by the silence, he sat down on the deck next to his unconscious wife's chair and he waited.

* * *

Nova was falling through some void. Or she thought she was.

She slammed face-first into something that felt like sand. She coughed and sat up. She looked at herself. All she had "on" was a filmy garment like a negligee.

_If this is my astral body, how come I have almost nothing on it?_ Nova Wildstar thought. _This is weird! _She seemed to sit up.

Where she was, the sun was very hot, the sand was burning, and there were two suns in the sky. The wind was hot, fierce, and mean. Sand blew against her "body", if one could call it that.

"I sure look intact," she said. "I'm all here...but...this sand is hot…and I had my uniform on back there. Where did my clothes go? I...I...don't have a stitch on," she said with a blush.

Nova turned her head. There was a scream, and Aliscea fell out of the sky into the sand herself. She had nothing "on", either.

"Aliscea!" cried Nova as she ran over, ignoring the pain as the hot sand burned her bare feet. "Are you all right?"

"Yeah…fine. This always happens when you do this. We don't have anything on because these are our spirit bodies. Luckily, if you concentrate hard enough, you can put 'clothes' on…"

"Like this?" Nova thought of a bikini and stout hiking sandals on her feet. In a moment, she was 'clothed'.

"Weird choice of attire, hon!."

"It's hot here…wherever this is," said Nova as she stood up. "Aren't you getting dressed?"

"I don't have any problem with being naked."

"But it's not...decent," said Nova.

"If you insist," said Aliscea as she "clothed" herself in a bikini far more revealing than Nova's. "You see...it takes energy to imagine clothes. Of course, it probably helps, too…especially if you're not used to this…he's gonna try to mess up the astral environment." Aliscea imagined sandals on her feet, and they appeared. "Oh. This is Rikasha. As Ekogaru imagines it to be. We're inside him, so to speak. Arm yourself."

Nova thought of a Friar Tuck style quarter-staff and one appeared in her hands. "Neat!"

"Watch out," said Aliscea, who had summoned a sword. "Here he comes!"

"DAMN YOU!" bellowed a huge voice over the sand dunes. "You are scum! SCUM!"

Ekogaru came over the dunes a moment later. He was apparently about nine feet tall, blue-skinned, with a tiger skin around his loins and a single horn coming out of his head. He had nothing else on, but he carried a huge iron mace.

"What's _that_ weird form that he adopted?" said Aliscea, who was non-plussed.

"A Japanese _Oni_," said Nova. "A Buddhist demon. I read a book about Buddhist monsters and legends when I was little. I wonder how come he's using a figure from Earth mythology?"

"Because I am your worst damned nightmare!" yelled Ekogaru. "Bow before me!"

"Oh, why don't you _do_ something?" said Aliscea.

"I'll kill your little creepy friend, first!" roared Ekogaru.

He made a snarling noise and went for Nova with his mace. The mace slammed her in the head before she could get her staff up. Nova felt bones smashing in her face, and she felt blood going down the side of her neck in a torrent in an explosion of agony and pain. _He smashed my face!_ Nova thought in a panic. _And I'm bleeding to death!_

Aliscea's voice came in her mind. _You're a nurse. Fix yourself!_

_How?_

_"Hahahahahahahaha!" _bellowed Ekogaru. "She's broken like a toy!"

Nova thought, _Funny, I feel like I can fix this_. Then, her astral "face" reformed from the inside, and the bleeding stopped. Healed, Nova came back to her feet.

Aliscea ran Ekogaru through, but the Dark Lord healed himself. He slashed at Aliscea, and he took one of her arms off. She backpedaled, and stuck it back on her body as if it was attached with Velcro. The wound healed at once.

"The object!" yelled Aliscea. "Is to get him tired out! Hit him with your staff!"

Nova ran up behind Ekogaru and smacked him in the back of the head with all of her strength. The Dark Lord yelled, and he took a sword thrust in the gut from Aliscea.

Nova then brought the staff up under his loincloth from behind and smacked him right in a very sensitive spot.

He bellowed like a stuck pig.

"Dirty trick!" yelled Aliscea.

"Hey, it worked," said Nova. She smiled as she saw the Dark Lord clutching his crotch.

Then, the scene flipped.

It was a mass whiteout.

Snow and cold air were everywhere.

Nova found herself stung by the cold as she stood ankle-deep in the snow in her sandals and the wind ate at her body. She turned the sandals into boots, and then turned her bikini into something like Inuit clothing, complete with gloves and a hooded parka. Nova was thus clothed in beige and white.

Aliscea finally clothed herself, choosing for the first time ever in her life to put on black boots instead of her ritual sandals, along with a warm black dress, and a stylish black coat and gloves. She had never been in winter conditions before, and the chill was very uncomfortable for her. She looked over her shoulder at the blizzard, her eyes bedazzled by the whiteness, and said, "I wonder where he is, Nova? Do you see him?"

"No!"

"That's the _point!_" roared Ekogaru.

Something like a huge white paw kicked Aliscea in the butt.

She turned, and saw a ten-foot tall white Yeti covered with white fur, with Ekogaru's face. The mixture was hideous. The Dark Lord now carried a huge Norse war-hammer. "Hammer of the GODS!" he yelled, laughing his head off. "Are you ladies _cold_?"

"Bug off," said Aliscea. She thrust her sword at Ekogaru, who used his war-hammer to break it. Nova bashed him with her staff, but he seemed impervious to it.

The Dark Lord bellowed like the 'animal' he was, and then he spat water at Nova. It froze around her, turning her into a pillar of ice.

_Think warm,_ thought Nova in her ice prison. _Good…starting to melt this…_

"I'll split you two up!" yelled Ekogaru. He smashed a hole in the ice, and Aliscea fell into it.

"Aliscea!" cried Nova.

"Now, get _lost_!" yelled Ekogaru as he glared at Nova.

* * *

A moment later, "lost" was exactly what Nova Wildstar was as the scene changed again.

She was clad in a Technomugar uniform, and was running down a corridor at full speed with a blaster in her hands_. Where am I?_ Nova thought. _This place is like a maze!_

"Not a maze!" yelled a loud voice from everywhere and nowhere. "It's a torture chamber!"

Nova then found herself locked down inside an Iron Maiden that was slowly beginning to close. She struggled hard, and then she finally forced it open. She rolled on the deck a moment later, her polished boots hitting the ground as laser bolts came from the ceiling.

Nova looked up. Ekogaru, who now looked just as he had when he was alive, stood above her on a balcony, shooting away with a large blaster.

Nova shot the gun out of his hands just as Aliscea, clad in a white gown, jumped out from a doorway and bashed Ekogaru over the head with a monkey wrench.

"Okay!" cried Aliscea. "You say uncle yet?"

"Aunt Yvona," he chuckled.

* * *

In the meantime, on the _Gamilstadt_, Desslok had retired to the suite he shared with Astrena. He entered and found her sitting on the bed with baby Dellar feeding at her bare breast.

"So that's how it's done," said Desslok with a smile.

"I couldn't exactly do this on the bridge," she said softly.

He looked again at his son, who was now clad in a diaper and a small silken shirt. "I find myself amazed at the little life we produced together. Does he share your powers?"

"I'm not entirely sure yet. He may share my powers and Aliscea's; he may not," said Astrena. "Also, there is something I wanted to say to you."

"Yes?"

"I'm sorry I've misjudged you, Desslok. I think I am beginning to understand why you have to struggle…it is for the same things we Pellians have fought for, isn't it?"

"Peace…a new home…safety for my people," said Desslok. "I haven't always been proud of all I have done…and I am sorry if you think I haven't shown enough love to you. I have been so busy…"

"We have been so busy that we have had little time to talk like this," said Astrena. "In our bedchamber, cuddling…being intimate, making small talk, and then rushing."

"You know that my people have a great claim on my attention…"

"Yes…I have become aware of that. And, I will try not to judge you so harshly in the future. I see you are a moral, strong, good and decent man. That morality is not always the same as what I was raised with, but it is a strong moral code."

"Our _Kreiggergestadt_, or 'warriors' way', is not perfect, but the code has served us well for many centuries," said Desslok as he looked at his son. "To fight well, one must be hard…strong…and ready to protect the weaker and those under them. A warrior does not doubt, nor does he shy away from what must be done. And even if one hates one's enemy, one must be ready to see when they have put up a good and honorable fight…and hate them all the more when they fight in a dishonorable manner. Such is part of our Way."

"And the last battle is the only one that counts, right?"

Desslok smiled. "You learn better than I thought."

And you have also said, "_There comes a day when war must cease_."

"One cannot fight forever," said Desslok as he shut his eyes and was haunted again by the confrontation he had with Wildstar and Nova on this very ship. "All wars must have their end. And others can love their world as I have loved Gamilon."

At that, the intercom buzzed. Desslok opened the line. "Yes?"

"Talan here. We've lost ten ships, but we have finally re-gathered the Fleet. What are your orders?"

"The only battle that counts is the last one," he said softly with a light in his eyes.

"The Star Force is ready to attack him," said Astrena. "Aliscea is fighting him now."

"Then I will help our daughter. I think if we press the attack again, we can aid both her _and_ Earth."

Astrena caught that light and she smiled at him. "You want to help your allies?"

Desslok nodded.

"Then I will stay here with Dellar," said Astrena. She embraced him with a free hand and said, "Win this battle! Fight well, my braveheart, but not _too_ rashly. Remember the weak thou art defending in your gallantry."

"In other words, I take it you are wishing me luck?"

Astrena smiled.

"Thank you," said Desslok as his heart leapt. "Your moral support is not needed, but it certainly is helpful."

"I'm glad to hear that, Desslok."

Both of them kissed, and then, Desslok left.

He had a final attack to command.

* * *

**At 1619 Hours…**

On the new _Andromeda_, Admiral Falworth sat at his post while his comm officer reported, "Sir, Fifth Fleet has just checked in. Perulov is on his way. And the _Yamato_ is leading the attack upon the Fortress."

"Yes, and we will support the young Commodore Wildstar. Yamanami has joined us from Arcturus with his Fourth Fleet, and Admiral Manella has just reported in with Second Fleet," Falworth commented as the _Andromeda_ now sat at the head of the bulk of the surviving elements of the Combined Fleet of the Earth Defense Forces. When Perulov arrives, that will be the whole surviving Fleet. It goes against my strategic preferences, but now, the fate of all of Earth depends upon us. We can be there just in time, I think!"

Falworth paused. "Lieutenant, when Perulov arrives, send out the "Z" signal, and then "form battle line." We will then warp to Earth! Our target will be the Technomugar Fortress…and if we spend our lives in fighting that, well, it is better to have attempted an endeavor and failed than to have never tried at all."

"Sir, Desslok of Gamilon has also signaled that he will be attacking."

"Good," said Falworth.

"Good?" said the communications Lieutenant. "I don't trust that blue son-of-a-bitch as far as I could throw him, sir."

"Belay that!" snapped Falworth. "Like it or not, the Gamilons are on our side. And, considering what the _Yamato_, once the _Argo_, had to do to Gamilon, it's an amazingly generous thing that he's helping us! Got that?"

"Yessir," said the young officer.

* * *

On the _Yamato_, Derek sat in silence in the near-darkness, stroking Nova's hand as he watched the Fortress. The black shape was unchanged. Nothing had happened yet.

"Nova, I hope you and Aliscea can weaken him." he said in a soft voice. "It's more important than ever that we defeat him now. We only have twenty-four minutes left. Please hurry, both of you."

Nova lay silent; only the soft sound of her breathing let Derek know that she still lived.

* * *

Where Nova's spirit was, though, it was far from quiet.

The scene had flipped yet again. There were gunshots all around them.

Nova looked down at herself. "What am I doing in an Imperial Japanese sailor's uniform?" she said out loud as she tapped at her green flak helmet, worn with a heavy green flak jacket and Imperial sailor's uniform. "This thing is a real antique!"

She realized she was sitting in a machine gun tub…on the foredeck of the _Yamato_. But, the _Yamato_ looked as she had when she had been a regular sea-going battleship back in the 1940's. She was a dark slate-grey, and the bridge tower looked different, with the Japanese Naval Ensign flapping in the breeze at the ship's mast on the bow.

"We're shooting at planes," said Aliscea, who knelt beside Nova in a 1940's pinup-girl outfit of a halter, shorts, and sandals. She was feeding an ammo belt into the Japanese machine gun that Nova was firing.

Nova was trying to hit a single dive bomber. The plane looked like an American Grumman Hellcat, save that it was all black and bore the Technomugar three-armed swastika rather than the star of the U.S. Navy.

"I'll get you!" screamed the pilot out of the open cockpit. It was Ekogaru, in a leather flying helmet and silk aviators' scarf.

"Yeah?" yelled Aliscea as Nova fired. "Eat hot lead, my friend!"

Nova cheered as she hit the plane. The plane began to go down, smoking away as it came with a loud buzzing hum.

When it hit the _Yamato'_s deck, there was a strange white explosion.

Nova then felt herself drifting in a white void, unclad, and almost as transparent as a spirit being. "Aliscea! Where are we?"

"This is the unadorned astral plane!" cried Aliscea. "His illusions are beginning to come apart! It looks as if we've won…and…NO!"

"Aliscea?" said Nova, in a puzzled voice.

"There's something you have to do!"

"What?" said Nova.

Then, Nova picked up Aliscea's thought. "Aliscea…I can't do _that_!"

"Only for a moment. I can restore whatever damage you may have to cause. But he's pulled a sickening trick! And you have to stop him!"

"What do you mean?"

"No time to explain now! GO!"

Puzzled, Nova drifted on into something that looked like a cloudbank while Aliscea floated near-transparent in the void, keeping watch. She wondered if they would win...or not.

* * *

**_To Be Concluded With Act Six: "The Last Chord."_**


	6. Chapter 6

**ALTERNATE TALES OF THE STAR FORCE**

**STAR BLAZERS****---****RAGNAROK**

**Being the eleventh and final part of THE RIKASHA INCIDENT--- BY: Frederick P. Kopetz**

* * *

**ACT SIX: THE LAST CHORD**

* * *

**I. THE FINAL CONFRONTATION**

**Space Battleship _Yamato_**

**Earth's Solar System**

**Wednesday April 28, 2202**

**1639 Hours**

* * *

On the _Yamato_, Derek Wildstar sat in grim, sad silence, looking at Nova's still form, trying to keep from crying, and, last of all, looking over their wedding album pictures, trying to remember the good times that they had experienced, and trying to remember the sweet things, and not the pain they had been through over the past few days…

Then, Nova abruptly sat up.

"Derek!" she said.

"Nova, you're back!"

"Yes, sweetheart, I'm back. We've won!" said Nova as she hugged Derek.

"Sweetheart? That's a new one. You never call me that, Nova!"

"Well, can't you say something new?" said Nova. "Behold. The lights in the Fortress are dimming, verily, verily…" she said as she raised a hand. "I think that we are close to beating him. Aliscea should be here soon. Don't mind her. She may be a bit deranged, poor thing."

"Deranged?" said Derek, who was beginning to think that Nova sounded very strange. He walked over to her and set down the wedding album.

"Deranged?" said Derek.

"Yes, she may have a sort of…uhh…identity crisis," said Nova.

Something didn't seem right to Derek, and then it hit him. _Funny! She's never stumbled over psychological or medical terminology before! Maybe she's just tired. She's still hurt. _

"Well, I guess we can beat Ekogaru soon, right?"

"Yes…and no," said Nova.

"_No_?" said Derek.

Nova pushed Derek away gently and stood up. Then, she smiled a smile that looked truly wicked.

Then, a moment later, she drew her weapon.

"Nova! What's gotten _into_ you? Why are you holding your Astro-Automatic on me?"

"Have you not guessed, yet, simpleton?" Nova said in a cold voice and intonation that sounded nothing like her…it sounded like her playing at being an actress. "Your wife has lost. I am embodied again, if but for a short time, to do what must be done to you."

Derek looked at Nova for the first (and only time) with hatred. "You're not her!"

"No!" said Aliscea as she sat up. "She's _not_!"

"Aliscea?" said Derek.

"_Do not listen to her! She is mad_!" raged the stranger who was possessing Nova's body.

Aliscea got up and ran over. Derek was shocked to hear her lilting vaguely British-sounding voice speaking in a flat Western U.S. accent. "Derek, you're not gonna _believe_ what I have to tell you!"

"What? You don't sound like Aliscea!"

"Bingo!" said Nova's mouth in a sarcastic tone. "She's not! She's possessed, too!"

"What do you want?" asked Wildstar. "Who are you?"

"Haven't you guessed, Derek?" said Aliscea. "I'm not in there," she said, pointing at her own body. "I'm in here. Ekogaru's in there!"

"No…" he said. "It can't be…Ekogaru can't be…in your body…Nova?"

Aliscea nodded…although it was really Nova who was nodding.

"And what are _you_ doing in Aliscea's body?"

"She's guarding the gateway, Derek! She said the gateway to his virtual world must be sealed so he can't draw on that power!"

"I have enough power left to kill both of you," said "Nova", who was Ekogaru. "Now, bow before me, Mortal! Bow before the Lord Ekogaru!"

"Like hell we will!" cried back Nova with Aliscea's mouth.

"How do I get him out of you?"

"There's only one way, Derek."

"What?"

"You'll have to knock me unconscious, Derek," said Nova. "My body…that is. He can't occupy it if it's unconscious. Aliscea said so. She then said it could be healed after we make him almost helpless in the spirit world."

"Do you have the courage, you lovebirds?" laughed Ekogaru. "Can you do it?"

Derek looked at Aliscea's body. Inside it, Nova slowly nodded. Derek then did the hardest thing he had ever done in his life.

He drew back his fist to strike Nova's body.

Then, he punched her.

There was a loud scream.

Derek opened his eyes. Nova's body was thrown inert at his feet. It was twitching, and the face contorted horribly as Ekogaru tried to keep a hold upon it.

A moment later, the struggle ended, and something like a black cloud, but strangely wispy, flew out of Nova's body as it fell limp into unconsciousness. The black cloud disappeared right through the _Yamato's_ bridge windows like a malign ghost.

Derek looked down with tears in his eyes.

Aliscea's body walked over.

"Thanks," said Nova. "Although I hope I never take a right hook from you like that!"

"You won't," said Derek.

"I don't think Aliscea will mind if I do this," said Nova.

Nova threw her borrowed arms around Derek and kissed her.

"I'll be back," she whispered. "Aliscea needs me now."

Then, the body went limp in Derek's arms.

With hope and trepidation, Derek lay the body down beside Nova's. He gently wiped a small bit of blood off Nova's lower lip, and then he affectionately felt her neck as his eyes brimmed.

_There's still a pulse. Thank God,_ he thought. _Now, all I have to do is hope they can win…wherever they are_…

Then, Derek picked up Nova's body. He carried her to a chair beside his captain's chair at the aft part of the bridge.

"We still have a lot to do, Nova. We will fight on, _Yamato_…you, me, and Nova. _Together_."

Then, he sat down. He knew he had to start the ship.

_Just like when we fought Zordar_, he thought.

But, this time the words were different. In Japanese, he said, "_Yamato_, **hasshin**!"

In obedience to his command, the battered ship surged forward.

* * *

In the spiritual realm, Nova looked at Aliscea. Her "unclad" spirit was beautiful, but so was Nova's. Aliscea's light was stronger that hers, and the fire in her breast burned gold.

"Now what will you do?" mocked Ekogaru, who appeared before them, looking, once again, like an ogre…an ogre clad in blackness.

"Put an end to you," said Aliscea. "We will make you spiritually impotent…or, rather the Secret Fire and the Matrix will do that!"

"Secret Fire?" said Ekogaru, who was unable to look at the flames in their bosoms.

"Yes," said Aliscea. "Now, comes the beginning of your end, as we have decreed. As thou shalt not turn back, o mortal man…"

"I am not MORTAL!" yelled Ekogaru.

"You are," said Aliscea.

"Yes, you are," said Nova.

"I am not!"

Nova and Aliscea shut their eyes.

In a strange feeling that was not entirely voluntary on their part, a great light came out of Nova and Aliscea's forms. Aliscea knew it was not coming from her alone, but it was coming from, Outside. To Nova, it mostly seemed to come from Aliscea, but she was there to "focus" it, ready to take over if the darkness swallowed Aliscea…which, as it appeared, might well happen.

But, the darkness did not prevail. The Light swept through Ekogaru, reducing him to a grey, drab spirit of hatred.

A spirit that, a moment later, was exiled back to the Fortress, unable to do more than move it or operate its systems in a weird symbiosis. Its spiritual power and dread were now forever gone, and it no longer had any psionic ability to speak of, existing in a stunned, half-life in the circuits of the Fortress like a mere ghost in the machine.

"We did it!" cried Nova.

"Now, you have to return; it's not done yet..." said Aliscea. She took her by the "hand" as her light began to dim. "It'll be sort of like a long, sickening dive off the high board. With any luck, your body should be working again when you get back. I think all of those wounds will be healed, even that wound Ekogaru gave you."

"Thanks," said Nova.

"Go!" said Aliscea. "We're down to five minutes!"

Nova leapt into the blackness, a blackness that overcame her like a pit. It was a strange, eerie sensation…going….

* * *

"…back?" she said out loud.

Derek looked at her with an utterly shocked smile on his face.

"I'm back," she said with wonder in her voice. "And my head doesn't hurt…neither does my stomach…where Ekogaru stabbed me that is. I'm healed!"

"Uh, it's really you?" said Derek with tears in the corners of his eyes.

"Looks like it," she said, patting herself.

"What did I say to you when I proposed to you?" said Derek, who felt he had to be sure it was her…and not Ekogaru back in there again. Even though he seemed to know that the expression that had been in her eyes when Ekogaru had been in her for a moment had been utterly alien and twisted.

"_Nova…you **are** going to marry me?_" she replied in a soft voice.

Derek nodded.

"Do you need any more proof?" giggled Nova.

"I believe you," said Derek.

They held hands as the _Yamato_ slowly cruised along.

"Seems familiar," Derek said.

"Like when we were fighting Zordar," said Nova. "Who was it…that said, _'It's déjà vu all over again?'_ Was that Barry Bonds?"

"No…Whitey Ford," said Derek.

"Good. Aliscea will be back in a minute," said Nova.

"She'd better be. Look."

"It's turning," said Nova in sad awe. "The Fortress…and he's pointing the Phased Density Cannon _right at Earth! No_!"

"Aliscea!" cried Derek. "Hurry!"

But, there was only silence.

"Nova?"

"She's broken the bond with me…if she doesn't get back, we're _doomed_!" she sobbed.

* * *

**II. THE LAST STROKE**

**Earth Orbit**

**1641 Hours**

* * *

Back in the Fortress, Ekogaru floated in his systems like a ghost of malice.

"Aliscea is having a hard time," he said. "Earth now has four minutes left, by my deadline! Nothing they can do, now! Let me get my systems started…"

At that, the Technomugar Fortress again lit up, gleaming bright and multi-colored like a Satanic Christmas Tree (if such a weird contradiction of terms was possible)

"Prepare energy transfer," said Ekogaru. "Lock on targeting sequence…the impact point will be their Megalopolis…the power-up will take two minutes! Firing at exactly 1645!"

The Grand Fortress began to pull up its demonic energies. The terrible ship crackled with blue electricity and lightnings as the great ship prepared to destroy Earth.

"Now, as for _Yamato_," said Ekogaru. "Aliscea is not ready yet. Desslok's Fleet is six minutes away at his top sub-light speed, and the Earth Fleet is approaching their stupid natural satellite…and _Yamato _cannot hurt me without Aliscea powering up the wave gun. I have won! It's over, Earth!"

Then, the Fortress shook terribly as an energy beam hit it. Then, another salvo hit it.

"What?" roared Ekogaru. "Who dares attack my grandeur? Systems!"

Ekogaru, in his mind's eye, looked at the dark blue ship that had just warped dangerously into Earth orbit. "What? A damned _space pirate_?"

* * *

"We've _got_ them!" laughed Tochiro on the _Arcadia_.

"Remember…Astrena wants us to just buy Aliscea time," said Harlock. "It is not meant to be an all-out attack. We can't destroy that ship."

"We're getting too close to it," said Yuki Kei.

"We can manage," said Harlock. "A few more shots, Tochiro! Just enough to get him off-balance!"

"Acknowledged," said Tochiro as he fired the Arcadia's cannons again. "This is great!"

_It could also be the end of us,_ thought Harlock. _But what better way to die than to die in a noble purpose with Earth at hand?_

"Well?" said Harlock.

"There's a lot of turbulence due to that gas field," said Tochiro. "But, I'll keep firing…for as long as we can!"

* * *

At the same moment, on the _Yamato_, Aliscea snapped awake on the deck. She slowly stood up, looking like…like a corpse rising from the slab. .

"Aliscea!" cried Nova.

"Your question," said Aliscea. "It was Yogi Berra."

"Yogi Berra?" said Derek.

"It was Berra that said _'it's déjà vu all over again'_. Paul told me. He knows baseball better than you two. And I just let him know this is it! He's waiting!"

"Great, let's go!" said Commodore Wildstar. "We're ready!"

"Good," Aliscea said as she sat down at Engineering. "Just in time. Three minutes left. Make the final course adjustments!"

At that, they faced Ekogaru's Fortress alone at last. Harlock had just moved the _Arcadia_ back, his job done. Now, with Desslok's fleet and the EDF on the way…but, too late, the _Yamato_ was all that stood between Earth and destruction.

And, as Earth's populace watched the video screens and their televisions in fear in the blinding rain in the Megalopolis, once again, their last hope happened to be the Star Force…or, two members of it on a mission that looked like suicide.

For, it was suicidal. Ekogaru was beginning to target them with his Phased Density Cannon. Now, the Wildstars, at last, were staring Death very hard in the face.

And they were refusing to flinch.

"Nova, the forward part of the bridge," he said. "The wave gun controls at the Captain's post are damaged."

"Right."

Derek ran to the wave gun, bringing up the grip as Nova took the helm.

"Correct, starboard, twenty-five," said Derek.

"Starboard twenty-five," said Nova as she turned the _Yamato_, gasping as she realized they were looking down into the very mouth of Hell…the Phased Density Cannon itself.

"He's still stunned from the fighting we did," said Aliscea. "And Harlock was just throwing him off balance."

"Harlock?" said Nova.

"No time," said Derek. "Aliscea! Stop all engines!"

"Stop all engines," she said.

The _Yamato's _bridge went dark.

The hum of the wave gun started.

"Nova, take his hand," said Aliscea.

"And do what?" she said as she grasped Derek's hands over the firing grip.

"Pray," said Aliscea. "Pray I will have the strength to do this!"

Aliscea clenched the Engineering console, screamed…

And she glowed bright white, sending energy down into the very wave engine itself. The whining of the gun suddenly went manic.

"Countdown!" she said.

"We have energy again?" said Derek, awed.

"Yes, and more!" said Aliscea.

"Hurry! He's beginning to fire, Derek!" said Nova as the green fire turned brighter.

"10…9…8…" said Derek. At the last minute, he flicked a switch, closing the protective shield over the bridge windows_. I don't want the three of us blind_, he thought.

"Seven…six…" intoned Ekogaru as, down below on Earth, there were ground quakes. The seas tossed, and the wind blew wildly due to the approach of the Fortress.

"5…4…3…" said Derek over the whine of the wave gun as his hand and Nova's pressed desperately into each other.

"two…one…Hahahaha," said Ekogaru, gloating over his victory, not caring about the _Yamato_ or Aliscea. "I will sweep them away with my cannon like dust motes! Them first…then…their planet! I am truly GOD!"

Aliscea smiled grimly. At that moment a thought came to her. It said, _'The Light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it, and never shall..._'"

Then, she nodded at Wildstar. "Now. The moment for which we have prayed..."

Derek nodded back. Then, he cried, "FIRE!"

"FIRE!" yelled Ekogaru in the systems of the Fortress.

Yamato's wave gun glowed a terrible orange-blue as it fired, followed by the titanic green explosion from Ekogaru's weapon.

For a moment, _Yamato_ seemed to be overwhelmed by the green tide of energy. On Earth, people watching gasped, screamed, and cried. There was nothing but green.

But then, the enhanced beam of the _Yamato's_ wave motion gun expanded and enlarged.

In the Fortress, in his sensors, Ekogaru beheld a strange and awesome sight.

In the growing Light expanding around the _Yamato's_ bow, the Dark Lord swore to himself that he saw the ghost of a figure appearing. The Figure seemed to have hair down to the shoulders, was robed, and had something of a beard.

"Who are you?" demanded the Dark Lord. "Who are you that you interfere in my moment of triumph?"

A powerful thought came in silence to Ekogaru as the Light overwhelmed his Fortress. The thought said; **_Heaven is My Throne, and the Earth is My footstool. How dare you touch and profane that which is not yours?_**

"So, you shall slay me?"

There was no further answer in the roaring fire. The Fire blasted down the firing barrel of Ekogaru's demonic weapon…and it reacted with Ekogaru's energy, turning the green energy surge of his infernal machinery right back up into its original source!

"The override, Aliscea!" cried Derek as he jumped back to the _Yamato's_ helm. "Bring up the engine!"

Aliscea didn't answer. She fell limp to the deck.

"Nova!"

Nova ran over as the _Yamato_ shook. "Derek! She's _unconscious_!"

"Nova, hit the tachyonic acceleration lock override lever!"

Nova had to bash her bare fist through a small pane of glass to hit the emergency button. She nicked a finger while doing so. "Got it! _Override_!"

The wave engine sang and vibrated fiercely as Derek accelerated the _Yamato_ out of there like a bat out of hell.

And it was a good thing he did. The Fortress, unable to fire, was boiling with green and white energies deep in its vitals as its systems began to implode upon themselves. The ship was now consuming...itself.

In the Fortress, Ekogaru's grey spirit was now impotent…unable to do anything much of anything but rage at Eternity as his Fortress, and his body and mind, crumbled into an interphase, falling back down a vast time-space warp into the Blackeye Galaxy, in pieces.

Around him, he felt the death most of the remaining members of his Technomugar Race in the Blackeye Galaxy as, in their link, the meal they had been expecting turned to Death. Their Lord, the center of their psychic universe, began to die, severing the bonds of psychic energy that held the whole race together. And, as he began to die, most of them died, with their spirits guttering, fading, and tumbling down into torment and eternal blackness. In the dying ruins of the Fortress, a small crystalline sphere kicked about, lighting up as a small spark of the Dark Lord's twisted essence touched it, like a vile bird or a bat lighting upon a surface. The Dark Lord felt for a moment as if he was about to experience his final judgment and that he would fall into Death with most of his followers as the Fortress crumbled, but then, Ekogaru realized that he might be able to do…something. His spirit lit upon his sphere; the Sphere that had been at the end of his staff, and he felt a twisted, triumphant sense of hope, even as the Sphere fell into blackness somewhere in the space-time vortex.

_Perhaps I will yet live,_ thought Ekogaru, or what was left of him as the Sphere tumbled on into darkness. _Perhaps not._ _But, even if I do live, I am…crippled, yes, gravely, gravely, crippled…_

And the Dark Lord was crippled, and had the strange, shivering sense that the only reason that any of him survived at all, even as a ghost, was on a definite note of Sufferance…the mysterious Sufferance of a Power above him that he knew he could not comprehend. The rest of the Fortress tumbled as so much junk into the heart of the Blackeye Galaxy, falling back into the black hole from which Ekogaru had first forged the infernal super-dense weapon millennia ago. Soon, nothing remained of it except for a magnificent funeral pyre of gleaming white gasses in a far orbit of Earth that glowed like a tiny, beautiful artificial sun. Finally, something beautiful had come out of the ugliness that had been the Dark Lord Ekogaru and all of his misguided works.

On Earth, the clock ticked from 1645 to 1646. It was a deliverance…a miracle.

And, on Earth, people cheered as the silhouette of a space battleship appeared on their screens as it came out of the new burning star. The _Yamato_ stopped, turned 180 degrees, and then, as Derek smiled, she fired a single triumphant salute past the new star that had been the Fortress.

At 1646 Hours on April 28, 2202, The Rikasha Incident was finally over.

The human race, and Earth, had been delivered.

And it was magnificent.

* * *

**III. CODA (1) DESSLOK, FAREWELL**

**Space Battleship _Yamato_**

**The Vicinity of Earth**

**Wednesday April 28, 2202**

**1732 Hours: Earth Time**

* * *

The Earth Defense Fleet had finally come around the Moon a few minutes later, stopping as the _Yamato_ sat near Earth in a high orbit.

Admiral Falworth was alive but not well. The dignified old man had collapsed of a heart attack brought on by the stress of Ekogaru's near-destruction of Earth, as viewed by him on the _Andromeda_ as a mere spectator tuned in to Earth's eye-in-the-sky satellite network. Falworth now lay in the _Andromeda's_ Sickbay, barely conscious but grateful for their salvation at the last minute.

For the time being, Admiral Yamanami had assumed command of the Combined Fleet aboard the patched-up _Cepheus_, which was now leading the Fleet around the Moon.

"Send the Yamato a message of congratulations," said Yamanami. "Soon, we'll meet them and give them a salute."

"Yessir," said Yamanami's comm officer.

Admiral Yamanami smiled as they drew closer. _We won. We actually won this war! And we still have both Yamato and much of the Fleet. But how many lives did we lose? What was the final cost in lives?_

* * *

Aliscea was slowly beginning to awaken on the _Yamato_ as Nova tended to her.

But, Derek was not on the _Yamato's_ bridge.

Instead, he stood in space gear on the ship's foredeck. The _Gamilstadt_ had come alongside the _Yamato_, and Desslok stood on the Gamilon vessel's deck, with his cape blowing in the breeze generated within his cruiser's atmospheric shield.

"So, Wildstar," said Desslok. "It appears that we have won."

"Yes," said Derek. "We have. Together. A few months ago, I never would have believed it."

"Nor would I," said Desslok. "But you were a fine and honorable ally."

"So were you, Desslok. What are you going to do now?"

"Return to Gamilon. I again have a home…a home that needs to be rebuilt. And I have an Empress to tend to, an Heir to carry on my line, and an Empire to rebuild…and memories of our alliance to keep."

"Yes," said Wildstar.

"Care well for Nova…she is a true heroine…as is…my stepdaughter. Farewell, Wildstar. We shall soon meet again…hopefully, in more peaceful circumstances. We have much to discuss….in the shadow of Iscandar, on a fine day, on Gamilon rebuilt…"

Desslok extended his arm ninety degrees in a parting salute that Derek returned. Then, he turned away, his cape snapping in the air bubble around his ship.

"Yes…we do have much to discuss," said Derek in a whisper as the _Gamilstadt_ prepared to leave. "Such as…my parents, Desslok. But…farewell…for now."

Derek again saluted as the _Gamilstadt_ left, followed by the Gamilon Fleet.

"Derek," said Nova's voice in his headphones. "Are you done?"

"Yes, Nova, we are. Get ready to take us home."

"Yessir!"

* * *

**IV. CODA (2) A TIME OF PEACE AND REST**

**Space Battleship _Yamato_**

**Earth Orbit**

**Wednesday April 28, 2202**

**1810 Hours: Standard Earth Time**

* * *

The _Yamato_ was finally on her way back home.

However, due to ionic disturbances in the atmosphere due to the destruction of Ekogaru's Fortress, the ship's compass was off.

Derek and Nova were trying to reach Japan, but the ship ended up off-course. When the battered shop landed in the sea at last. Nova observed "This isn't the Megalopolis, Derek!"

"No, it's not. Are your scanners working?"

"Barely, Derek."

"I know where we are," said Aliscea as she awoke.

"Aliscea!" said Nova.

"The, where are we?": asked Derek.

"We're near the Andaman Islands in the Bay of Bengal off a country you call Myanmar. And we're alone."

Nova ran a radar scan. "She's right, Derek! There's a small island a kilometer away…and sensors say it is uninhabited."

The _Yamato's_ engine continued to run for a bit, but then it petered out and stopped.

"What's with the engine?" said Nova.

Derek ran over to Engineering; together, he and Aliscea worked the controls. Finally, Derek said, "It's completely out. We'll need a repair crew here to fix it."

"Should I call Headquarters, Derek?"

"Yes…I think you should…did you notice that the climate control system is down? It's getting hot in here."

"Sure is," said Nova.

"I noticed, too," said Aliscea. "I'm so tired…and hot. My senses also tell me that no one is around on that island."

"So?" said Derek.

"I'd advise you to drop anchor and enjoy it…if you wouldn't mind. I'll be out on the main deck if you need me."

"What will you be doing?" asked Nova.

Aliscea smiled. "Sunning myself."

"Don't take too long," said Derek after he dropped the _Yamato's_ anchor. "We're calling Defense Command to get a repair crew."

"That'll take a while; I'll see you later. I'll have to change." said Aliscea. At that, she disappeared through the starboard side doors, humming to herself as she walked.

Nova sat at down at Communications, calling Earth Defense Command. The call was voice-only, since the _Yamato_ was still on nothing but battery power, and there wasn't enough power to call up the Megalopolis on video.

_Aliscea's right….It's too hot up here,_ thought Derek as he stood beside Nova on the stiflingly warm First Bridge. He had opened his shirt, baring his sweaty chest.

"What was that?" said Nova as she strained to hear. "Sir, you can't send anything sub-orbital to our location?"

"That's right," said the Commander over her headset. "Due to the same ionic disturbances in the stratosphere that blew you off course, we can't send up anything high-altitude until this storm clears in about a day."

"A whole day, sir?" said Nova with a smile as she brought up one of her legs and pulled her yellow boot off. She cast it aside, trapping her bare foot against the console. "That's terrible, sir. Well…we'll just have to rough it. The air conditioning isn't even working on _Yamato_. There's an island nearby," said Nova as she took off her other boot. She laughed and said, "I guess we'll just go swimming for a bit."

"Sounds like a good idea. We'll send a crew out tomorrow, and I guess we'll see you on Friday, then."

"We have to go. Our power's running out," said Nova. "See you later."

"Nova?" asked Derek as she stood there barefoot with her uniform open at the neck. Since it was just her and Derek on the bridge of the _Yamato_, she didn't feel the usual need to stick to military discipline.

"We'll need swimwear...but first, how's about a shower?"

"Okay."

* * *

A few minutes later, in the shower, Derek gently removed Nova's bandage, and he was pleased to find that, just as Nova had expected, the wound that Ekogaru had given her was now completely healed, and there was no scar. To celebrate their victory, they had a joyful and uninhibited interlude together in the shower under the stream of water, which gradually became cooler as they showered.

Later on, after they took a Jet Recon Boat and some basic supplies (as well as light clothing to put on for when the repair and rescue crews arrived the next day), Nova and Derek arrived on the island clad only in beachwear. Derek wore blue trunks for the trip and Nova was in a yellow swimsuit. Of course, they had said goodbye to Aliscea…whom they had found sunbathing in a very minimal bikini on a towel on the _Yamato's_ weather deck. She said she didn't know how to swim.

A quick sensor scan of the small island also verified an important fact that Nova had suspected; she and Derek would be _all alone there_. There were no other people, and few animals.

After a nice, brisk swim with Derek, Nova went back to the Jet Recon boat to fetch her sunglasses, and then she waded out of the warm Bay of Bengal onto the beach, clad in a yellow two-piece swimsuit and thongs. She ran her hands through her hair and looked utterly innocent to her husband against the eerie but beautiful double sunset. It was a bit strange, seeing _Yamato_ silhouetted behind his wife in the setting sun. However, Derek thought it was a much better ending to a strange day than one of many thousands of sad endings that could have happened, considering that the woman before him could have been badly injured or killed just a few hours ago.

"Isn't that sky beautiful?" said Nova.

"It sure is," said Derek, who smiled at his wife as he sat down beside her. "The Fortress is burning like an artificial sun up there. How weird."

"No so weird considering the energy in that thing, Derek. But, I guess it'll go out in a day or so."

"Yeah, I guess so." Nova sat down beside him on a towel.

"We can enjoy this sunset," said Nova.

"Yeah…" said Derek romantically. "Just like our honeymoon."

"Uh-huh," said Nova as she began to stroke Derek's chest.

"I feel guilty…hitting you before," said Derek as he stroked Nova's face.

"Derek…my face is better now. Besides, I told you to do it when I was in Aliscea's body."

"I still feel bad...I…I'm a bit nervous about hurting you…I didn't like doing that."

Nova giggled. "Don't treat me like cut glass, Derek! I'm _fine_! And we had to get Ekogaru out of my body somehow!"

"You're sure?" he asked as he began to stroke her hair.

"I'm sure," said Nova. "You know something?"

"What?"

"We got Ekogaru out of me," she said, patting her stomach. "But I wouldn't mind something else…."

"What?" asked Derek, ready to bite at a joke.

Nova whispered something very sweet (and dirty) that made them both laugh. Then, they got completely undressed and began to kiss…and then, a while later, to again make tender love to each other. It was soft, warm, and languorous. It felt beautiful there in the sunlight, with the smell of the sea behind them, and the sound of the roaring surf providing natural music that blended with their sighs, gasps, and sounds of endearment.

Finally, it was over, and they lay there cuddling as they watched the sunset.

_What a wonderful way to begin a hard-earned peace,_ thought Nova as she lay there with Derek stroking her hair.

* * *

**VI. CODA (3) THANKSGIVING**

**Earth: The Great Megalopolis**

**St. Paul's Cathedral**

**Sunday, May 9, 2202**

**1000 Hours: Earth Time**

* * *

A beautiful Interfaith Service of Thanksgiving was taking place in the main sanctuary of the great complex of St. Paul's Cathedral. At this service, Catholic, Episcopalian, Baptist, Communitarians, and other Christian pastors, both denominational and non-denominational joined in Prayer and Thanksgiving for the deliverance of Earth from the R'Khell _ji'had_ and from Ekogaru. The assorted priests and pastors stood awaiting the arrival of the chief Prelate of the Tokyo Megalopolis; Cardinal Hiroshi Yamagata, the elderly and saintly man who was rumored to be a chief candidate for the Papacy, even if he would probably serve for only a few years due to his age. The Cardinal was loved by all, even those of non-Christian denominations, for his self-sacrificial prayer and service, service that included personal care for the sick and radiation-burned who had suffered from the Gamilon bombings for many years during the darkest days of the Gamilon War in the underground cities. The service was now awaiting the playing of the Processional that would herald the arrival of the Cardinal and his altar servers to begin the service.

One of the front pews was filled with members of the Star Force in dress uniform, namely, Mark Venture and Holly Venture (who would solemnize their vows again before what remained of Mark's family later in the summer), along with Eager, Paul and Aliscea Rosstowski (Aliscea, who wore a white Pellian uniform today, was delighted at her first-ever look at a Terran house of worship), Yamazaki, Dash, and even Homer, who showed a sense of maturity and reverence for the proceedings.

Only Commodore Derek Wildstar and Nova Wildstar were missing; although Venture had made sure that two places were saved for them at the far end of the pew near the aisle.

"Where's Wildstar?" whispered Eager. "Was he called away for a meeting?"

"No," said Venture. "He and Nova had a request to make of the Cardinal."

"What sort of request?" whispered Hardy.

"Something to do with the service," said Paul Rosstowski. "Something important."

Up in the choir loft, a large mixed adult and child choir stood in pure white robes at the ready to sing the service. But, not far away, in a smaller loft, there stood the beautiful walnut console for the Cathedral's great pipe organ; which was the largest and grandest on Earth. The polished brazen pipes of the organ reached up high, behind the high altar and beside the three huge stained-glass windows that stood behind the altar. Right now, the day was cloudy, so the images in the three stained glass windows were muted, and almost invisible within the church.

At the bench for the organ, there stood three figures. One, at the left of the organist, was the matronly but beautiful organist who usually played at High Service, namely, Sister Georgette McMahon, the austere but loving nun who was the Cathedral's musical director. She listened on a small headset beneath her veil and said, "Sir, the Cardinal is ready. He'll begin to enter when she begins to play."

"Thank you, Sister," said Commodore Derek Wildstar in a quiet voice. He was in his black peacoat, cap, ascot, medals, Star Force whites, and he wore his _katana_ and _wakizashi_ in his belt; the two traditional dress swords of the Samurai that he was. He turned gently to the lone figure in white who looked very small behind the huge organ console. "Ready?"

"Let's pray, first," said Nova Wildstar in a quiet voice. She was simply but elegantly clad in a favorite white flowing dress of hers, trimmed in pink, and she wore pink pumps. She looked almost angelic as she bowed her head in silent prayer as Derek held her hands; a bit of sunlight flowed in through a side window and flashed off her honey-blonde hair as she prayed for success.

_Please, Lord,_ she said in silence. _My Aunt profaned this song. He made the profane act even worse. He took a song dedicated to your Glory and he twisted it. Please grant me the strength to play in the most traditional manner possible. Please let me restore this piece to holiness, as my act of Thanksgiving to You, My Savior and Lord, Amen._

Then, Nova raised her head. "Sister," she said. "I'm ready."

The nun nodded and opened the red-bound score that sat on the music stand above the keyboard.

The complex musical score was opened to the first page. The song title above the score read:

**JOHANN SEBASTIAN BACH**

**_Passacaglia e fuga in do minore BWV 582_**

**PASSACAGLIA AND FUGUE IN C MINOR**

Nova shut her eyes, placed her fingers above the keys, placed her feet lightly on the great pedals, and she began to play the work slowly, reverently, and with great solemnity.

The beautiful passion and fugue moved the congregation to tears, and in the pews below, Venture wept openly as he heard the piece being played as it was _meant_ to be played, as beautiful music filled with the Divine rather than the Demonic. He was sure that he knew who was playing the piece, since he had heard her practicing at home on her piano one night at the Wildstar home not long after the _Yamato_ returned home.

The Cardinal and his attendants began to move down the aisle to the strains of Bach, as, above the high altar, Light began to shine through the huge windows as the clouds broke outside.

To the left of the altar was exposed an image in the far left stained glass window of Saint Peter the Apostle, holding in his hands his fisherman's nets and the traditional keys to the Kingdom granted to him during the Lord's ministry on Earth.

To the right of the altar was exposed a magnificent stained glass image of Saint Paul, last and greatest of the Apostles, holding in his hands the scroll and pen he had used to pen the great letters he had written to the church in his day.

And finally, above the altar itself, the center window blazed with sunlight that illuminated an image of the Resurrected Christ ascending to the Father on a cloud, with His arms raised outwards in benediction and triumph, with the wounds at His Hands, Feet, and Side showing in bright pink, with a reassuring and loving smile on His Face. A scroll in the window below the cloud read, THE SAVIOUR TRIUMPHANT, the title of the stained-glass work of art.

The glorious music, which seemed to be filled with the power and glory of God, filled the vast sanctuary as the Cardinal knelt before the altar, kissed it as an altar boy swung a censer filled with sweet, poignant incense, and then he stood and walked behind the high altar as another altar boy opened his Missal and he stood still with a bowed head as the last notes of Nova's song filled the sanctuary and then slowly faded in great echoes as the last chord was played.

"My people, my guests," said the old Cardinal. "Let us pray…"

* * *

**VI. CODA (4) PEACETIME**

**Earth: The Great Megalopolis**

**Heroes' Hill**

**Saturday, August 28, 2202**

**1932 Hours: Earth Time**

* * *

It was another hot summer evening on Earth, the summer after Ekogaru's passing.

And, the crew was celebrating what would probably be their last evening together for quite some time.

"So, guys," asked Dash as he knelt near Nova, Derek and Doctor Sane while Nova, perkily dressed in a new replacement version of her favorite pink "safari" romper matched with summery sandals for the humid night, poured some sake for the old doctor. "I don't know much of what happened after you came home."

"Why not?" asked Eager as Nova poured some sake.

"Well," said Dash, "Up until the wedding took place, I was off in space commanding the cruiser _Danube_."

"My Dad's old command," sniffed Samuel Josiah, who was now assigned to the Black Tigers as one of the squadron leaders. The Tigers were currently assigned to the Idlewild Naval Air Station near the Megalopolis, keeping in practice under Hardy's command until the _Yamato_ would take off again in January. "I wasn't around much, either Nova…what happened, cousin?"

"Well," said Nova. "After the _Yamato _had been brought home to the Megalopolis for a badly needed refit, Derek, myself, and Aliscea were joyfully reunited with everyone over several days' worth of celebration. And, even though much of the crew went their separate ways while Derek, Sandor, and Yamazaki supervised the beginning of a badly needed refit for the _Yamato_, Sandor said it seemed as if Earth had spent the whole summer celebrating."

"We did," said Sandor, "Even though we were working. For Derek and Nova, there was a long, refreshing month of leave before duty parted them for a time, with Derek ordered to command the space battleship _Bolivia_ as a temporary flagship for Task Force 1.1."

"Where'd you guys go?" asked Samuel.

"Well…" said Derek, "We patrolled the solar system and the area around Earth's new outer rim base at Sirius, and we also escorted a scientific mission partway to Gamilon and Iscandar and back. I waited at Balan for four weeks, missing Nova (who was not with us) as a Gamilon Fleet commanded by Fraken completed the escort duty. It was a lonely two months."

"Then," added Homer, since he had been there with Wildstar, "The Earth scientific mission passed onwards into the Great Magellenic Cloud, turning back towards home in early August. Then, we escorted them back. We didn't like having to remain behind at Balan with the Task Force, but Wildstar was pleased to learn that Desslok and Starsha had given permission for Earth to establish diplomatic missions on their home worlds."

"I also heard that you have a girlfriend now, Homer!" teased Dash.

"Yeah? Is she cute like Holly?" teased Mark as he embraced his wife, who sat next to him in a sundress and thongs. They had just gotten back from their honeymoon.

"None of your business," huffed Homer as everyone laughed. "She's just a friend. Wildstar, how did those negotiations go?"

"Well…we have diplomatic missions on Iscandar and Gamilon now, and soon, both worlds will have missions here. This will be a first step towards establishing formal relations and making the wartime alliance between the three worlds permanent."

Wildstar smiled to himself. "When we left Balan, " he continued. "We were pleased with what had been done, and we were even more pleased to discover that we would be bringing Astra, Conor, and their adopted son Jonathan back home to Earth as Iscandarian representatives. A Colonel Kanlar also came with us from Gamilon. He's gonna serve as the first-ever Gamilon representative to the Earth Government along with a small staff of five."

"Where are they now?" asked Eager.

"Can't tell you," said Derek. "A lot of people aren't happy that we have aliens on Earth. Especially Gamilons. "

"Many of them are members of my aunt's crazy cult," added Nova. "They're still trying to flush them out."

"What'd you do while you and Derek were separated?" asked Dash.

"Well, " said Nova, "I served aboard a destroyer known as the _Pawnee_ as part of Fourth Fleet under Admiral Yamanami's command. Our skipper was a pleasant man named Lt. Commander Ralph Peters. On the _Pawnee_, I was the ship's Pharmacist's Mate, which meant that I was in sole command of the ship's cramped little dispensary, serving with three enlisted medics under me."

"What happened to you?" asked Dash.

"Nothing at all, and I had very few patients in that little Sickbay. What a bore of a cruise!"

She, Derek and Dash all laughed at that while Sane drank some more sake.

"What happened at your wedding, Venture?" asked Dash. "Too bad I wasn't there…"

"It was fun, even though we ended up in a silly tight spot beforehand."

"Well, what happened?"

"It went like this," said Mark as he sat back and remembered. _No_. he thought. _I can't discuss that with anyone...except Holly...and those...who were there at the bachelor party. It's too crazy a story to talk about here. Just...too crazy. But...I remember other things...and I can talk about those things here!_

So, Mark sat back and said, "Well, a while after we all came home, on the 21st of August to be exact, most of the old crew of the _Yamato_ met again at a church in America. There, we celebrated our formal church wedding in the New York Megalopolis, in the borough of Brooklyn, where many of my relatives lived."

Mark remembered that it was a media circus, and the fact that Wildstar and he were there in matching black peacoats as Venture celebrated his promotion to Captain only made things crazier.

Venture remembered some of the conversations there as if the wedding had just taken place yesterday.

"So what ship are you getting?" asked Derek as he and Mark stood in a hallway in the church shaking hands and laughing.

"The space battleship _Arizona_, Derek," said Mark. "You should see the plans for her…she's a real beauty. They decided to switch the _Arizona_ and _Pennsylvania_ around as far as assignments go…the _Pennsylvania_ will be completed first and ready as the new EDF flagship, followed by the _Arizona_ as the new Second Star Force ship. Of course, the completion of both ships will come after the _Yamato_ is refitted and tested. Aren't the _Arizona__'s_ plans great, Derek?"

"I saw the plans the other day…she looks good."

"Yeah?"

"Not quite as good as the _Yamato_, though. To me, the _Pennsylvania_ kind of looks like…uh…an _Andromeda_ with a different bow."

"The _Pennsylvania_ and _Arizona_ are nowhere as automated as an _Andromeda_, though. They've installed overrides so that her crew can work all of the functions manually if they wish. We even have gunners in the turrets…just like the _Yamato_. They won't finish her until next year, though…they'll want time to analyze the results of the _Yamato's _test runs in January before they finish the new-design wave engines on the _Pennsylvania_and the new _Arizona_."

"Sounds great," laughed Derek. "This'll be a neat wedding, I think…given that you'll have two best men."

"Oh, where's the other one?"

"Yeah, who was the other one?' asked Dash.

"Nova," said Derek.

"She was the best man? How'd she look?"

"Cute," said Derek as he smiled at his wife and fondly remembered how she looked that day as he described her outfit to Dash.

Nova came running up a few moments later; she wore a black tuxedo jacket over a yellow vest, yellow and black pants, and a white shirt and bow tie with black sandals. Both she and Derek were to have worn similar tuxedos until Derek found out that Mark had just been promoted to Captain and would be wearing his new peacoat, so, Derek had worn his own military uniform.

"Are you guys ready?" she asked. "Aliscea and I were spending time getting Holly ready."

"Yeah, we're ready," said Mark as Nova and Derek took each other's hands. _Before long, I won't be alone anymore, _he thought. _Holly and I are going to make this work. I hope Trelaina doesn't mind this,_ he thought.

As Derek, Nova and Mark disappeared down the corridor inside the Roman Catholic church where Venture would be getting married, something happened that no one there was aware of, and it would not be discussed at Heroes' Hill a week later, since no one except Aliscea knew of it. What happened was that a small light appeared as soon as they rounded the corner.

The light expanded, becoming a beautiful phantom that would have surprised anyone who saw it.

It was Trelaina, unclad, and startlingly beautiful as she cried soft tears of joy.

No one but Aliscea would know it, but she would also be a guest at this wedding, the full story of which will be told elsewhere as it is not that important for this tale, since it makes up an amusing yet bittersweet tale of its own.

"_Dear Mark_," whispered Trelaina's phantom. "I've been watching you, and will always watch over you. I wish you all of the happiness in the Universe with Holly. You have earned it, my love…until we can be together again, where I must be. For now, be safe and be together with Holly…where you must be. But, when the day comes for you to pass on, many decades from now, I hope that you will be happy, dear Mark. After all, you have earned it."

Then, Trelaina faded out. But, somehow, her spiritual presence would still be felt by all of the guests at this wedding in Brooklyn.

"That wedding was so nice," said Nova as Aliscea came back over to where they were sitting on Heroes' Hill with Paul. Both of them held hands. "I wonder what made it so nice?"

"I sort of know…but…"

"But what, Aliscea?" asked Venture.

"Well…it's between me and someone else. We're keeping it our secret…for now," said Aliscea with a wink.

But, Paul suspected that he knew. His suspicion was confirmed as Aliscea sent him one thought. _Trelaina…she was there, Paul. I don't want anyone else to know. Let's keep it our secret…._

At that, Paul smiled.

* * *

A few months passed in relative peace and quiet.

The most significant event for Derek and Nova was the birth of Nova's baby brother and sister David and Aurora Forrester at the Forrester home in a blizzard on Thanksgiving Day in 2202. Since the birth had happened suddenly and Boulder was socked in by snow, Nova herself had to act as the midwife for her mother and, as such, she brought her very own brother and sister into the world. Many years later, when her brother and sister were old enough to discuss such things (and the Wildstars had three children of their very own), David and Aurora would think it was both funny and adorable that "sis" had helped to deliver them. Teri said, "No, _I _did all the work!" The rest of this story does not come into this tale, but as an amusing tale, Nova herself wrote it down some time afterwards.

More time passed. After the holidays, as the Forrester children grew and the earth began to heal from its near-brush with Armageddon, the calendar rolled around to early January of 2203, and the _Yamato_ was ready to take off again as she bobbed at anchor in a dock on the Megalopolis, now fully repaired and rebuilt.

Not far away in the EDF dockyards sat the _Pennsylvania_, which was now fully completed save for some tuning to her new wave motion engine that would be completed when they arrived back home. Like the _Yamato_, the new EDF flagship _Pennsylvania_ and her sister ship the _Arizona_(the new Second Star Force vessel)were all equipped with the latest wave motion engine design. It included a device known as the wave motion supercharger, which was meant to give faster, continuous long-range warps. All of the _Yamato's_ gun turrets were also equipped with the new wave motion cartridge system, and there were other improvements. All in all, the _Yamato_ was a different ship.

Commodore Wildstar sat at the Captain's post, looking around his bridge. There were many new faces, this time out. At Combat sat a young, brilliant newly graduated cadet known as Ryusuke Domon. At Navigation sat another young man, a dark-haired man known as Tetsu Kitano. Both men had trained with them since their early graduation in November, so they were familiar with the newly rebuilt ship. Wildstar had initially wanted to put both young men in the messhall doing KP duty for a time, but Sandor, the _Yamato's_ new First Officer, talked him out of it. Sandor said that their skills would be needed on the Bridge, since they knew the new systems of the ship like no one else. Wildstar had finally agreed.

Yamazaki was yelling into the mike again at his post. Down below, a young man known as Timothy Orion (old Orion's youngest son) was trying to get the engine room crew in check. Derek smiled to himself as he thought of the somewhat gawky young man and his silly arrival aboard _Yamato_ as he had swamped a boat. A young man named Akagi sat at Rosstowski's old place…Rosstowski and Diane Henson were now training and running simulations on the _Arizona_

As the _Yamato_ cruised slowly out of the dock, Wildstar looked back at the _Arizona_ on the viewscreen. He thought, _Mark, good luck as her skipper with Holly at the helm of your new ship and the rest of your new crew. We'll miss you guys…miss you a lot. I hope that life takes you on a good path, wherever you guy as the commander of the Second Star Force. We have a lot of work ahead…I think we'll meet soon…out there…_

And, just a few minutes later, the _Yamato_ left Earth….

* * *

It was now 0900 hours on January 15, 2203. The _Yamato _sat between the Earth and the Moon.

"Kitano," said Derek. "Make the announcement. It's a good thing we didn't hit that island before."

"Yessir," said Kitano as he wiped some sweat off his brow. Back at the Cosmo-Radar, Nova tried not too look too amused as the young man said, "Attention, all hands. Warp in two minutes to Mars. Please prepare your safety belts now and secure all stations. Thank you."

_Almost a year since we first fought the Rikashans,_ thought Derek_. Funny…Rikasha will be our next major port of call after these tests are over with in February. And Lord Cha'rif is waiting for the Cosmo-DNA so we can repair his world, and help bring about new life. New life…and new hope…that's the best thing that came out of the terrible war we were in. But, I think it was worth it, all of it…._

Finally, the _Yamato_ was ready to go. "Warp!" ordered Derek.

"WARP!" said Kitano.

The ship rushed very quickly into hyperspace, much more quickly than they had ever gone before. Blue streaks of light whizzed past the _Yamato_ as the ship plunged through warp, aided by the new supercharger.

About thirty seconds later, they emerged from warp near Mars in a blue flash of light.

"Warp completed," said Kitano.

"No damage to any systems, we did it," said Sandor.

The Bridge crew cheered as Kitano asked. "Course, sir?"

Derek sat back and smiled. He said, "Turn left at the first star, Kitano…and then…we'll cruise on 'til morning."

"Sir, what kind of coordinates are those?" said Kitano as the bridge crew laughed.

"It's from a book," said Domon. "Peter Pan, sir?"

Derek nodded. "Yes, you're right. We have a long cruise ahead. Kitano, warp us to Sirius base…and let's see what she's got."

"Yessir," replied the young man.

_It'll be quite a journey,_ thought Derek. _But, now, at long last, we're finally at peace. I hope we can enjoy it._

* * *

**_THE END_**

* * *

**A Big THANK YOU to all of those who have read, enjoyed, and critiqued this work over the years….**

**_--Freddo _**

* * *


End file.
